Use and effectiveness of economic instruments in the decarbonisation of passenger cars ETC/ACM Technical Paper 2012/11

12 Dec 2012

Iulian Petchesi

Abstract
The European Commission aims at a 60% reduction in CO2 emissions from transport by 2050 compared to 1990 levels. The Commission stresses that the decarbonisation of the transport sector depends, firstly, on technology development towards clean and efficient vehicles based on conventional internal combustion engines and, secondly, on the deployment of breakthrough technologies in ultra-low-carbon vehicles. Legislation at European level could be supported by additional national policies, driving decarbonisation of the passenger car sector even further.
For this study by ETC/ACM, its partners PBL and VITO together with Tilburg University, have conducted research into the effects of national taxation on the sale and use of cars. In addition, the advantages and disadvantages of decarbonisation for air quality policy were considered, as well as the impacts of electric cars, the most frequently named breakthrough technology, on the energy sector.

Prepared by: ETC/ACM Consortium partner members Hans Nijland1, Inge Mayeres2, Ton Manders1, Hans Michiels2 and Mark Boete1, with Reyer Gerlagh3
1 Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency (PBL), The Netherlands;
2 Flemish Institute for Technological Research (VITO), Belgium;
3 Tilburg University, The Netherlands

Published by: ETC/ACM, December 2012, 90 pp.