Source: European Parliament
Delivering on the EU’s net greenhouse gas emissions reduction target of at least 55% by 2030 compared to 1990 and the climate neutrality target by 2050[1] calls for ambitious action to ensure a swift decrease in emissions from all sectors, including transport.
The revised CO2 standards Regulation[2] sets targets which get more stringent over time, up to a 100% emission reduction for new cars and vans registered in the EU as of 2035.
This gradual transition towards zero-emission mobility gives industry enough lead-time to develop an adequate compliance strategy.
The 2025 target requiring a 15% reduction of emissions from the 2021 baseline was agreed by the co-legislators in 2019 and confirmed in 2023. Manufacturers may rely on various technologies to achieve this target, such as zero-emission and hybrid vehicles, or improvements of conventional vehicles.
For manufacturers that may not be in a position to achieve target compliance on their own, the regulation provides the option to pool with other manufacturers. Pooling is not mandatory, but is one option as part of manufacturers’ compliance strategy.
As announced in the Industrial Action Plan for the European automotive sector[3], on 1 April 2025 the Commission proposed a targeted amendment of the CO2 emission standards, whereby the compliance would be assessed over the years of 2025, 2026 and 2027 instead of annually[4].
This will contribute to safeguarding industry’s capacity to invest, keeping the overall ambition of the 2025 targets. The Commission will also accelerate work on the preparation of the review of the regulation.