AMSTERDAM: The Netherlands achieved the lowest CO2 emissions from new cars of all 28 EU countries at 109 g/km. It also shows the second best overall reduction across Europe since the introduction of binding CO2 limits for new cars in 2008, at 30.4%.
The Netherlands had the lowest CO2 emissions from new cars in the European Union last year, thanks to its tax regime favouring fuel economy and low-carbon vehicles.
Germany and Poland are among the countries with the highest C02 emissions from new cars and the weakest national tax policies, a report by NGO Transport & Environment has found.
Cars are responsible for 15% of Europe’s total CO2 emissions and are the single largest source of emissions in the transport sector.
The best performing countries in T&E’s Green Car Tax ranking , such as the Netherlands, Denmark and France, had vehicle registration and company car taxes that incentivised buyers to pick low carbon vehicles.
In 2013,
Germany’s 2013 average CO2 emissions from new cars was 136.1 g/km, by far the worst performer of the EU15. The largest European car market, with almost three million new cars registered in 2013, does not have a significant car registration tax, T&E said. Annual circulation taxes in Germany were too weak on CO2 emissions to have little or no effect on consumer choice, T&E said.
Greg Archer, clean vehicles manager at T&E, said: “This report shows that effective vehicle and fuel taxes can drive the market for lower carbon, fuel efficient vehicles and avoid the air pollution caused by high number of diesels. By graduating company car and registration taxes strongly with CO2 emissions, and taxing diesel vehicles and fuel at a higher level than gasoline cars, both CO2 and air pollution emissions can be sharply reduced.”
