Position paper - AmCham EU's position on post-2020 CO2 emissions standards for cars and vans

Climate change is a global challenge that requires efforts from all sectors and during the last decades, the transport sector has made significant advances in deploying emission reduction technologies. The industry is committed to delivering further greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reductions in line with the climate objectives set by the EU for 2030. It is important that any future regulation aimed at contributing to these objectives sets a policy framework that secures the environmental contribution whilst safeguarding the competitiveness of the industry and ensuring affordable mobility for consumers.

In order for the policies to be effective in meeting their societal objectives, reducing emissions in transport and achieving the long-term climate change goals in a sustainable way while safeguarding EU industry competitiveness, all stakeholders must contribute to the solutions. Policies must achieve the following:

• Recognise that the new revised test cycle, the Worldwide Harmonized Light Vehicles Test Cycle, is accompanied with regulatory challenges that will also add to the stringency;
• Set an ambition level that ensures technological and economic feasibility, cost-efficiency and technology neutrality to reduce road transport CO₂ emissions effectively; targets can only be met with an appropriate regulatory framework, without defining the means or technologies by which industry should meet the targets.
• Refrain from setting mandates or imposing a penalty for not reaching the low-emission benchmark, to maintain the technology neutrality of the regulation;
• Recognise the difference in CO₂ reduction potential between passenger cars and light commercial vehicles by creating separate feasible targets for each;
• Recognise the untapped potential of measures other than vehicle technology that can contribute to the reduction of CO₂ emissions in transport, within an integrated approach;
• Safeguard the competitiveness of the automotive industry.

Read more about AmCham EU's position below. Please contact Jarrod Birch (jbi@amchameu.eu) for more information.