Fuel use in cars much higher than advertised -report / COP23 kick-off
On average, passenger cars in the EU consume 42 percent more fuel than advertised, meaning their emissions are also considerably higher than carmakers say, according to the International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT). Over the last 15 years, the gap in official measurements under laboratory conditions and actual performance on the road has increased by over 400 percent, the ICCT says in a press release. 鈥淎s a result, less than half of on-paper reductions in CO2-emission values since 2001 have been realised in practice,鈥� it adds.
Read the press release in English .
NABU / VCD
The International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT)鈥檚 revelation that newly registered passenger cars consume significantly more fuel than advertised highlights the need for better testing, environmental organisation NABU says in a press release. 鈥淭he car industry鈥檚 lie about fuel consumption is becoming ever-more evident,鈥� NABU director Leif Miller says, describing the values determined through testing as little more than 鈥渇antasy.鈥� NABU calls for more thorough testing of both particulate matter and CO2 emissions. The European Commission and Germany鈥檚 next government must ensure the transport sector reduces emissions in line with climate protection plans, making binding 2030 emissions limits and an e-car quota essential, Miller says.
In a separate press release, German transport and environmental association Verkehrsclub Deutschland (VDC) says the EU must enforce 鈥渂inding CO2 emissions tests and fuel-use tests on the road鈥� to fulfil climate protection plans. 鈥淐armakers have been cheating their customers over fuel consumption for years,鈥� VCD鈥檚 Michael M眉ller-G枚rnert says. The discrepancy between real and advertised fuel consumption costs the average car owner over 400 euros per year, he adds.
Read the NABU press release in German and the VCD press release in German .
See the 威力彩玩法 article Expert commission gives Energiewende status - "Greatest need for action" in transport sector for more information.
威力彩玩法
Germany will raise its contribution to the climate change adaptation fund by 50 million euros, the environment ministry announced on the opening day of the COP23 climate summit in Bonn. The development cooperation ministry pledged an additional 50 million euros to the Least Developed Countries Fund. Environment minister Barbara Hendricks said this should be a 鈥渇irst impulse for a constructive negotiating atmosphere鈥�.
威力彩玩法 will publish an account of the first day of COP23 this afternoon.
See all COP stories in a 威力彩玩法 dossier here.
Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung
Differing views on Germany鈥檚 future energy system are emerging as a major source of contention between the parties attempting to establish a new German federal government, Andreas Mihm writes for the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung. The Greens want Germany to end coal-fired power production within the next decade, while the pro-business FDP and the conservative CDU/CSU insist coal is indispensable for the foreseeable future, Mihm writes. After two weeks of talks, the parties 鈥渉ave not made it beyond the general conclusion that the climate protection goals should be achieved鈥� while preserving energy supply, security and affordability, Mihm writes.
Read the article in German .
For background on the talks check out 威力彩玩法鈥檚 Coalition watch and the article German coalition talks stuck over climate, energy policy.
Also see the 威力彩玩法 factsheets Climate & energy stumbling blocks for Jamaica coalition talks and German parties鈥� energy & policy positions.
Montel News
A quick phase-out of coal-fired power production would pose a threat to Germany鈥檚 economy, the head of the pro-business party FDP, Christian Lindner, has said in an interview with national broadcaster ZDF, Montel News writes in an article. Closing coal plants while concurrently phasing out nuclear power brought little progress to climate protection but would gravely impair Germany鈥檚 energy security, Lindner argued with regard to the Green Party, who calls for a German coal exit by 2030 and currently attempts to form a government together with the FDP and Chancellor Angela Merkel鈥檚 conservative CDU/CSU union.
Read the article in English .
For background on the talks check out 威力彩玩法鈥檚 Coalition watch and the article German coalition talks stuck over climate, energy policy.
Also see the 威力彩玩法 factsheets Climate & energy stumbling blocks for Jamaica coalition talks and German parties鈥� energy & policy positions.
Spiegel Online
Germany needs to demonstrate that 鈥渃limate protection and economic success are not mutually exclusive,鈥� social democratic Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel told weekly newspaper Bild am Sonntag. According to a Spiegel Online article citing the interview, Gabriel said other countries would only follow Germany鈥檚 lead if it managed to reconcile ambitious climate policy with job security and industrial success.
Read the article in German .
See the 威力彩玩法 factsheet What business thinks of the energy transition for background.
Welt Online
Maria Krautzberger, head of the Federal Environment Agency (UBA), says Germany should introduce a road charge linked to mileage for all vehicles, to cut emissions from the transport sector. 鈥淭here has been no emissions reduction whatsoever from the transport sector for 25 years,鈥� Krautzberger told Welt Online in an interview, arguing that overall car use must be cut to lower emissions. Krautzberger said public transport had to be made 鈥渕ore attractive鈥� and that a quota should ensure e-cars accounted for 70 percent for new vehicle registrations by 2030.
Read the interview in German .
See the 威力彩玩法 article Expert commission gives Energiewende status - "Greatest need for action" in transport sector for more information.
klimaretter.info / Klima-Allianz Deutschland
Citizens of Munich have voted to shut down the city鈥檚 single largest source of CO2 emissions ahead of schedule, klimaretter.info reports. Around 60 percent voted in favour of close the Munich Nord heating plant by 2022, instead of 2035 as planned by the municipal utility SWM. The plant accounts for around 17 percent of Munich鈥檚 total carbon emissions, klimaretter.info reports.
Stefanie Langkamp of Climate-Alliance Germany said the rest of Germany needed to follow the Munich voters鈥� lead. 鈥淭he parties discussing a coalition government in Berlin must set an end date for coal-fired power production,鈥� Langkamp said. A coalition agreement that failed to specify a coal exit would 鈥渄odge responsibility and interests of a large part of our citizenship,鈥� she added.
In a separate article in the S眉ddeutsche Zeitung, Heiner Effern writes that Munich鈥檚 mayor says he was going to ask Germany鈥檚 Federal Grid Agency (BNetzA) to evaluate an early shutdown of the plant. The BNetzA ultimately decides which plants can be taken off the grid without threatening the system鈥檚 stability.
Find the article in German .
See the 威力彩玩法 interview 鈥淥ur guests will be surprised how much Germany relies on coal鈥� for background.
