Europe’s cars may get weight-based emissions allowances

The European Commission is examining the idea of an emissions trading system for car manufacturers that would force makers of high-polluting cars to pay money towards those producing greener cars.

According to a report in German daily Handelsblatt, the amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) a car may emit in the future could be determined by its weight.

Manufacturers producing cars that do not conform to this threshold will have to pay duties to those who fulfil the criteria or fall under them.

German conservative MEP Karl-Heinz Florenz told the paper the plans amounted to an emissions trading system for cars.

Currently the EU applies such a system to industry whereby firms are given pollution credits. Those using more than their allocated credits have to buy from firms that do not need all their credits.

The commission’s plans for the car industry follow an announcement by Brussels in February that from 2012 all new cars should have an average limit of 130 grammes per kilometre of CO2 emissions.

EUobserver