Greener cars the price for automaker aid

As giant auto makers beg governments to bail them out of the economic crisis that has brought them to their knees, some authorities have named a price — make greener cars to drive.

The EU has committed to cutting greenhouse gas emissions by a fifth by 2020 as part of efforts to curb the warming of the Earth’s climate which scientists warn could have a devastating impact, hitting poor countries hardest.

After European governments stepped in to help rescue several major banks, the auto sector has opened up a new front in the economic battle and EU officials — still struggling to pin down a global treaty on climate change — want any aid to the auto sector to be eco-friendly.
“Some are arguing that, given the very difficult economic situation, we can no longer afford our climate change and energy package,” the president of the European Commission, Jose Manuel Barroso, said in Lisbon on Friday.

“They could not be more wrong … The consequences of ignoring the risks of climate change will be even greater than the consequences of ignoring risks from the financial sector.”

Yahoo!