EU Parliament Votes Against Stricter Car CO2 Limits; German Government Urged to Act

The EU Parliament has voted against mandating stricter CO2 emission reductions for car manufacturers. Instead, the parliament supports the European Commission's proposal, which includes a 55 percent reduction target by 2030 and a ban on the sale of new combustion engine cars from 2035. Environmental group Deutsche Umwelthilfe (DUH) criticizes this decision as incompatible with climate objectives.

Jürgen Resch, federal managing director of DUH, described the vote as a "severe setback" for climate protection in the transport sector and efforts to reduce Europe's reliance on fossil oil. "With the commission's lax requirements, we risk a complete standstill in powertrain development for the rest of the decade," Resch stated. DUH argues that the 2035 phase-out for combustion engines comes too late, given the escalating climate crisis.

DUH calls on member states to push for significantly tougher requirements within the EU Council. The organization proposes a 45 percent CO2 reduction for new cars by 2025, with an intermediate target in 2027. It advocates for no new combustion engine cars to be registered in Europe from 2030 onwards.

The group highlights that Germany's binding CO2 sector targets for transport risk being missed annually until 2030. Therefore, DUH emphasizes the federal government's need to exert significant influence in Brussels negotiations to secure more stringent emission standards.