Decarbonizing Transport in the European Union: Emission Performance Standards and the Perspectives for a European Green Deal

Abstract

The transport sector is a major driver of climate change both globally and in the European Union (EU). While the EU as a whole is showing declining carbon emissions, transport-related emissions are higher than in 1990. Car traffic is responsible for around 12 percent of the EU’s total greenhouse gas emissions. EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen underlined the efforts to strengthen the decarbonization of the EU at the end of 2019 by publishing the European Green Deal (EGD) communication. In this paper, we analyze the controversy surrounding the emission performance standards for cars adopted in spring 2019. Car manufacturers must reduce the average carbon emissions of their fleets by 37.5% between 2021 and 2030. In this respect, the new emission performance standards are more ambitious than the previous ones. However, our argument is that without a major shift in the balance of power, extensive decarbonization and a departure from car-centered transport development will not be possible. Therefore, it is crucial for mobility research to critically engage with lobbying power in the EU and with concepts such as environmental leadership, which often underexpose the structural power of incumbent actors and existing path dependencies.

The Budget of the European Union and Green Energy: Perceptions, Actions, and Challenges

“…When looking at the current level in the EU, emissions related to transport are higher than in the 1990s. According to Haas and Sander (2020), who addresses the Green Deal's decarbonisation targets in terms of the transportation sector, extensive decarbonization is not possible without a major change in power balance. The EU declares that the Green Deal is the new strategy to make the EU's economy and so the future of next generation sustainable.…”

Utilization of Renewable Energy Sources in Road Transport in EU Countries—TOPSIS Results

“…A particularly important role in terms of sustainable energy development (SED) is played by the internal aspect (balancing demand and supply considering the environment, consumers, and economic and political ramifications) and the external aspect (ensuring a safety gap between domestic demand and domestic production) of energy security [50]. The European Union is a leader in environmental protection [51]. In 2010, the European Commission adopted the strategy to ensure a competitive, sustainable and safe energy sector, indicating the EU priorities in energy policy by 2020.…”

The North-South Gas Corridor in the Context of Poland’s Gas Transmission System—A Perfect Opportunity to Diversify Gas Resources

“…The energy transition towards lowcarbon energy calls for a changeover period, meaning gradual decarbonization through gasification [1,2] (in the first stage) followed by reducing the use of fossil fuels (coal, oil, gas) in favor of renewable energy sources such as wind, solar energy, biomass and biogas (in the second stage). At this point, it is worth emphasizing that decarbonization is a broad concept and applies not only to energy [3], but also technology [4][5][6][7][8], economy and politics [9][10][11][12]. It is believed that within the next decade or two the use of natural gas for the production of electrical energy in Poland will increase.…”