The role of taxes (and EV's) in reducing CO2 emissions from cars in Europe analyzed

Typography

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 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.  

But car taxes pinned to CO2 emissions in many EU countries have skewed the market in favour of diesel, with diesels now representing about half of all new cars sold in the EU. Besides lower fuel duty, diesels emit about 15% less CO2 than petrol cars.

But the lowest emissions found in countries with the lowest share of diesels, such as Denmark and the Netherlands. That dispelled the myth that increasing diesel cars in national fleets is needed to comply with C02 emissions laws, according to T&E, which  branded them a major cause of urban pollution.

Only one new Dutch car in four is a diesel, and one in three new Danish cars are diesel because both countries have taxation surcharges on the fuel.

Editor's note:  the Netherlands had by far the highest percentage of electric vehicles at over 5% of the National Fleet! No other country is over 1%.

Table shows CO2 emissions ranking.  Source:  Transport & Environment]

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