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‘Vans must face realistic CO2 targets’

May 30, 2015

The average van sold in the EU in 2014 emitted 169.2g/km, the European Environment Agency (EEA) has reported. It has prompted calls for the van sector to face vastly more ambitious targets with T&E saying 100 grams of CO2 per km should be set for 2025.

EU legislation says average CO2 emissions from new vans must be no more than 175g per km by 2017, a target that has already been well exceeded as the latest preliminary EEA data has the average at 169.2g. Companies are also on track to meet the 147g/km 2020 target. Average emissions from new vans in Portugal and Malta are already below this level.

T&E clean vehicles manager Greg Archer said: ‘T&E warned that weak vans targets were irrelevant and could easily be achieved by manufacturers. We have been proved right. The EU needs to set a 2025 target of 100g to make vans cut emissions as the same rate as cars.’

The EU market for vans is surging, growing by 18% in 2014. On average, new van emissions were 2.4% lower than in 2013. With diesel vehicles making up 97% of sales, there is a particular issue with air pollution emissions from vans.

Vans are one of the fastest growing sources of CO2 emitted from transport in Europe – they increased by 26% between 1995 and 2010 and now account for 8% of the EU’s road transport emissions. A 2012 study by TNO, an environmental consultancy, showed a 2020 target for vans, equivalent to the cars 95g target, would have to be 118g/km.

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