CO2

Phasing out petrol powered cars by 2050?

Published on 9 March 2011 at 11:23

Cover

"To safeguard the climate: petrol powered cars to disappear by 2050," headlines Die Presse, reporting on an early draft of a transport white paper currently being prepared by the European Commission. According to the Viennese daily, the document outlines plans to halve the number of combustion engine vehicles in European cities by 2030, and to phase them out completely by 2050. It also features a number of proposals to achieve the Europe 2020 objective of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 20%. On 8 March, Energy Commissioner, Günther Oettinger, presented a number of ideas to be included in a programme with an estimated annual cost of 270 billion euros, which will oblige member states to upgrade publicly owned buildings, impose energy audits on industry, and exert “gentle pressure” on consumers to save energy. In response to the salvo of new standards, Die Presse ironically wonders if "the EU could be considering plans to regulate the intestinal flora" of European citizens, with a view to promoting a more energy efficient society.

Tags

Was this article useful? If so we are delighted!

It is freely available because we believe that the right to free and independent information is essential for democracy. But this right is not guaranteed forever, and independence comes at a cost. We need your support in order to continue publishing independent, multilingual news for all Europeans.

Discover our subscription offers and their exclusive benefits and become a member of our community now!

Are you a news organisation, a business, an association or a foundation? Check out our bespoke editorial and translation services.

Support independent European journalism

European democracy needs independent media. Join our community!

On the same topic