ECF 2011 Annual Report - European Climate Foundation

Programme Overview
TRANSPORT
PROGRAMME
Most of the ECF Transport programme's activities in 2011 were geared
towards preparing for debates on key 2012-2014 EU directives. Only
after these debates are won will we be able to measure success.
2011 GOALS
• Building capacity and knowledge to prepare for the upcoming battle on car CO₂
emissions standards
• Improving fuel quality standards in Europe, especially concerning biofuels' indirect
land use change (ILUC) and tar sands
• Preparing the ground for trucking fuel-efficiency legislation
The European Union (EU)'s soaring
transport emissions have now
reached one-third of the world’s
total, and tight fuel-efficiency
standards have become crucial.
The EU has laid the foundation for
a world-leading efficiency target in
2020, though that target is up for
review in 2012-2014. It comes at a
time when the economic recession is
an ever-present backdrop and there
is a risk that governments will side
with incumbent industries.
To prepare for this political battle, the
ECF has built a highly qualified team
of experts from NGOs, industry,
media, and science. The dossier of
important background information
from the International Council
for Clean Transport (ICCT), who has
provided studies on the technological
and economic feasibility,
and initial contacts with consumer
groups and progressive industry are
vital for winning this debate.
ECF grantees have pushed the
European Commission to tackle
the complex issue of indirect land
use change (ILUC) from biofuels
following years of Commission denial
of the emerging evidence. Legislative
proposals recognising the need to
tackle ILUC are expected in 2012.
Progress was tangibly made in 2011
to clean up road transport fuels in
Europe via the Fuel Quality Directive.
Despite huge pressure from the oil
industry and the Canadian government,
the Commission proposed in
October 2011 to assign higher carbon
footprint values to dirty oil sources
– such as Canadian tar sands – but
this fight is far from over.
In December 2011, the Commission
finally unveiled a part of its strategy
to change trucks in Europe by
announcing it would not support
bigger and heavier trucks but
rather pursue legislation to improve
aerodynamics. This stance mirrors
that promoted by the ECF-funded
“Design of a Tractor for Optimised
Safety and Fuel Consumption” study.
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stakeholder-driven solutions for the main challenges of building a renewable power system for Europe.” Kristina Steenbock, Executive Director Smart Energy for Europe Platform (SEFEP)
“Klima-Allianz