Cars with internal combustion engines, including hybrids, are numbered in years. The dieselgate has placed the blame for grace on a technology that manufacturers have thrived on for years. Twenty-seven large companies and 6 associations engaged in the automotive, energy, health and finance sectors are urging the institutions of the European Union and the governments of the member states to adopt measures to prohibit the sale of these cars no later than 2035 The hope is that the zero CO2 emission limit for cars will be introduced.
The companies – giants of the caliber of Ikea retail, Coca-Cola European Partners, Sky but also companies such as Volvo Cars or Uber, a leader in mobility services – are calling for an immediate commitment. The signatories of the appeal ask that already in the course of 2021 in the Old Continent, “a new and more ambitious climate legislation is agreed, to ensure that the EU does its part in halving global emissions within this decade”. Among the underwriters of the application there are also the Italian companies Enel X and Novomont, a chemical company that operates in the bioplastics sector with its registered office in Novara and its main plant in Terni.
The appeal is public and can be signed by any other company: those already involved employ over 800,000 employees and have a turnover that exceeds 250 billion euros. The petitioners recall how cars and light commercial vehicles account for 15% of overall carbon dioxide emissions in Europe. They also highlight how they are responsible for 26% of the harmful emissions of nitrogen oxides that cause chronic diseases and cause the premature death of 54,000 people a year in the Old Continent.
The European Commission is aiming for a reduction of at least 55% in overall emissions by 2030. But it is not enough for the companies and associations that have signed up to the appeal. The request is for greater foresight in the belief that a more courageous choice “would set in motion a systemic transformation and would make the EU a global leader in a key sector for a zero-emissions future”.
Transport & Environment, which relaunched the initiative, recalled once more how the demand for electric vehicles is growing: last year it represented 10% of European registrations. However, it remains unclear how the electricity needed to power these cars can be produced in a sustainable way. The association talks about the waste of 200 billion euros a year for the importation of oil, but in several countries, including Italy, thermoelectric still represents an obligatory choice. Toyota’s number one, Akio Toyoda, had reminded the authorities of his country how the eventual conversion of the entire fleet would lead to the exhaustion of the entire annual energy production in Japan within six months. Volvo Cars “challenges” other manufacturers and can afford to do so because it had already anticipated the times of electrification: almost two months ago it made official its goal of becoming a fully electric brand by 2030. As a premium brand it also has customers with greater financial resources. The Chinese-controlled Swedish company of Geely hopes for “clear direction and support from the government” and, above all, stresses that “further measures are crucial to increase European consumer demand for electrified vehicles and the rapid development of a ‘ complete charging infrastructure “. In short: subsidized electrification. “If the European and national institutions adhere to this proposal, they would take a huge step forward and in the right direction for our continent”, declared Andrea Di Stefano, Novamont’s Special Projects Manager.
