The amount of Carbon dioxide in our atmosphere has surpassed 400ppm (parts per million), and although relatively this is a very small amount it is having a warming effect on our climate, and with the amount of fossil fuels being burnt around the world growing this figure is only going to increase further.
In Europe half of the Carbon dioxide emissions from the transport sector come from cars and vans, and so the European parliament has been drawing up new rules that specify emission targets that vehicle manufacturers must adhere to in 2020 and 2025. Our very own Minister of the European Parliament for the North East Fiona Hall, who is on the committee of Industry, Research and Energy, has been one of the leading figures pushing for the implementation of this legislation organised this meeting in the surroundings of the Nissans factory in Washington, Sunderland. It was chaired by one time Top Gear presenter Quentin Wilson, and other speakers were, MP Julie Elliott (Labour), Tanya Sinclair (Nissan external Relations), Rob Walker (Society of Motor Manufacturers & Traders), Greg Archer (Transport Environment) and Adrian Morris (University of Sunderland).
These targets are designed to encourage the larger manufacturers to move away from vehicles powered by crude oil towards electric and eventually hydrogen cell propulsion. Each company will have to ensure that the emissions of their vehicles that are sold average below the target figure. Though there are some companies who have not been included in this legislation, the likes of Ferrari and Jaguar Land Rover who are considered specialist manufacturers. As a sweetener the companies will also be given additional credits to emit extra Carbon dioxide for every alternative fuel vehicle they sell.
At the moment the implementation of these rules has stalled as the German government, on behalf of German car association (VDA) are unhappy about the level of the targets, this excludes Volkswagen who after an extensive Greenpeace campaign agreed to become “the worlds Greenest car company”. The common understanding to the reluctance of the Germans to adhere to these stiffer rules is because their companies like to focus on producing powerful sports and luxury models. Though Adrian Morris, from Sunderland University put forward a different perspective that they may in fact be stalling to give themselves to catch up and even surpass the opposition, as Germans are well known for their technical abilities to produce products of the highest quality.
The debate also focused on education in terms of teaching people to drive vehicles more efficiently and on providing guidance to first time buyers of alternative fuelled vehicles on the contrasts of functionality. From the perspective of the speakers there also needs to be a better awareness of the benefits especially in terms of costs of the non-petrol/diesel powered vehicles.
Our hosts, Nissan in Washington are solely producing their electric car, the Nissan Leaf, a vehicle assembled in England and are providing jobs for local people. Their focus is not only on making their vehicles as energy efficient as possible, but also on making their entire factory and industrial process as green as possible. It is the progressive steps like these that companies take that should be applauded, because they are making examples of themselves and striving towards best practice that safeguards the environment and the planet.
I found it to be an interesting discussion in which the main driver of change was not mentioned, and yet the current economic climate was used as an excuse to be lenient on the manufacturers, and this from my perspective remains our problem within this and other industries. Climate change is thought of as something we will have time to deal with once we have prospering economies once again, ignoring the sense of urgancy and real change taking place on the planet especially the rate at which extinctions are taking place.
Rakesh
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