Published 17 Dec 2013
In 2012, the average new van sold in the
European Union emitted 180.2 g of carbon
dioxide for every kilometre travelled, which
is close to the 175 g CO2/km target to be
gradually phased in between next year and
2017.
This target will initially
apply to 70 % of new light commercial vehicles
in 2014, increasing to 100 % of these vehicles
from 2017 onwards. As with new cars sold
in the EU, each manufacturer has an individual
target based on the average mass of the
vehicles sold.
Manufacturers’ performance
in meeting their targets is assessed on
the basis of new vehicle registration data
from Member States. By 2020 van manufacturers
will have to further reduce emissions, so
the average van sold in the EU emits 147
g CO2/km. This target was confirmed by the
European Parliament and the Council earlier
this year.
People in Malta, Cyprus
and Portugal bought vans with the lowest
average emissions, the data shows, while
at the other end of the scale vans sold
in Slovakia, the Czech Republic and Germany
had the highest.
Vans CO2 emissions per
country
Data quality
Twenty-eight manufacturers
(of 66) provided feedback to the Commission
and the EEA on the quality of the Member
States' data. The verification covered approximately
60 % of the newly registered vehicles reported
by Member States and showed good results
for some vehicle categories. However, it
is apparent that the 2012 data was not fully
representative of the European fleet, since
vans built in multiple stages (‘multistage
vehicles’, see below) were not fully included
in the reported data. To address this issue,
the European Commission is working to improve
monitoring with stakeholders and Member
States.
The new figures revise
the preliminary data published by the EEA
in June. The updated figures show average
vehicle emissions to be slightly lower than
previously thought, a reduction 0.13 gCO2/km.
Since legislation was adopted in 2011, 2012
was the first year of reporting on new vans’
emissions levels.
Background
A significant number
of vans in the EU are constructed in multiple
stages, meaning that there are several different
manufacturers involved in the completion
of the vehicle. According to the legislation,
responsibility for meeting specific emissions
targets lies with the manufacturer of the
base vehicle, which is normally the chassis
or chassis-cab.
+ More
CO2 emissions calculations:
explaining concepts and methodologies
Published 18 Dec 2013
Topics: Climate change Household consumption
Policy instruments
There are several methods for accounting
for carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. The
European Environment Agency (EEA) explains
the key characteristics of different emissions
accounting methods, highlighting the need
for methodological improvements as well
as better data coverage and quality.
The EEA report, European
Union CO2 emissions: different accounting
perspectives, explains the concepts and
methodologies behind three different air
emission accounting perspectives: territorial,
production and consumption-based.
The territorial perspective
considers emissions that are released to
the atmosphere within a country’s borders
and jurisdiction. This perspective corresponds
to the legally enshrined practice used by
sovereign states under international conventions
such as the UN Framework Convention on Climate
Change. The EEA report explains how the
production perspective offers different
insights, showing emissions resulting from
the economic activities of a country’s residents
and the companies registered in the country.
The third method explained in the report
provides a consumption perspective. This
considers emissions associated with goods
and services, attributing them to the country
where they are consumed, regardless of where
production of these goods and services result
in emissions.
