About: Green transport
European cities slow to adopt electric buses
Fully electric buses account for only 9% of urban bus sales in Europe, according to research by Transport and Environment (T&E), a green campaign group. High upfront costs are the biggest barrier to their deployment on a mass scale.
EU funds go begging as Greece remains indifferent to electromobility
The state’s indifference to absorb EU funding combined with unfair tax treatment has left Greece lagging behind in green transports, industry representatives told EURACTIV Greece.
Loaded terms in the bioeconomy
The use of emotionally misleading terms needs to be avoided if we are to have efficient policies, writes Zoltán Szabó.
Britain paves way for electric vehicles, green aviation
British transport is set for a significant low-carbon boost with several new Government consultations and funding schemed announced over the past few days in a bid to drive a green transport overhaul.
Ethanol makers criticise the EU’s ‘biased’ transport decarbonisation goals
The European Commission is in denial concerning the contribution of conventional ethanol to the EU's transport decarbonisation goals post-2020, according to European ethanol producers.
Europe needs a clean break for cleaner fuels
The technology-neutral policy for clean transport fuel is dead. Clean electricity must be put at the heart of EU transport policy, argues Jos Dings.
What is the formula for electrifying the EU’s transport sector?
This week (25 June), Parliament's Environment Committee will debate reducing air pollution from cars. Member states should draw lessons from Norway, writes Teodora Serafimova.
Solvik-Olsen: Norway leads on electric cars
Norway has the world's best incentives for buying electric cars. But a zero-emission vehicles' strategy might not work in EU countries with a strong automobile industry, said Norwegian Transport Minister Ketil Solvik-Olsen.
Kallas: Europe must reduce subsidies to transport
EU governments pour too much public money into obsolete enterprises and thereby keep low-quality transport services going when they should not be allowed to do so, said Siim Kallas in an interview reflecting on his legacy as Commission Vice-President in the Barroso II team.
Proposal on pollution controls for non-road machinery is out
Stakeholders stick to their guns upon reviewing the Commission’s proposal to curb pollution from agricultural and road construction machinery.
Air pollution rules for ‘non-road mobile machinery’
Noxious emissions from everyday cars and trucks have long been regulated at European level. But the European Commission believes pollution from so-called non-road mobile machinery – which includes everything from bulldozers to chainsaws – is a problem and is proposing new emission limits on them.
London Mayor protests UK block on EU ‘safe lorries’ law
The mayor of London, Boris Johnson, has written to the British transport minister, Stephen Hammond, protesting British opposition to "safe lorries" legislation in the European Parliament that could save hundreds of cyclists’ lives every year.Europe must avoid tarring and feathering itself
All signs point towards growing interest in importing more tar sands-based fuels to Europe. While Europe is regulating carmakers to make more fuel-efficient cars, it should also ensure that the fuels their engines run on are not getting dirtier, writes Nusa Urbancic.
EU’s clean transport dream faces familiar speed bumps
Plans to kick-start Europe’s low carbon vehicles industry with a huge infrastructure package ran into retro roadblocks at a meeting of EU transport ministers yesterday (11 March), with member states bemoaning the use of public funds to reach ambitious targets.
Poto?nik makes song and dance about traffic pollution
Smoggy roads can be enough to make anyone scream, but they have also inspired Environment Commissioner Janez Poto?nik to offer to write a song and perform it on stage in front of 1,000 people.
Brussels mandates roll-out of electric-car ‘recharging points’
The EU has pledged a huge expansion of infrastructure for electric vehicles with binding targets to multiply the number of Europe’s charging stations, part of a new strategy to kickstart Europe’s low-carbon automotive industry.
Green cars legislation faces ‘dilution’, says Irish presidency
Tough new EU carbon dioxide emissions targets for cars are facing "dilution" due to heavy pushback from member states with strong auto-industry lobbies, such as Germany, according to an Irish presidency source, who was speaking on condition of anonymity at a press briefing on 16 January.
MEPs OK law on cutting sulphur content in shipping fuels
The European Parliament has approved legislation to slash sulphur levels in shipping fuels, a move environmentalists say will help prevent thousands of deaths linked to maritime pollution.The lessons of London’s bicycle network
Lack of central coordination and inconsistency between mayoral terms have undermined London's bicycle network, says Shin-pei Tsay of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.
EU’s new transport strategy to put price on pollution
The European Commission wants to make transport users pay for emissions, noise and other harm they cause as part of proposals laid down in a draft White Paper on Transport, seen by EURACTIV.
Finland eyes world’s first ‘green highway’
The Nordic country is planning to build a carbon-neutral highway, placing filling stations for electric and biofuel-powered cars, smart lighting systems and clean energy production facilities along the route.
Brussels pushes for electric cars
The European Commission has approved a new strategy to promote clean and energy-efficient vehicles in the EU, primarily focusing on the role of electric cars rather than biofuel-powered vehicles.
EU ‘wise men’ chief wants more rail, less road
Rail is the perfect answer to respond to the challenge of greening passenger and freight transport, said Felipe González, chairman of the reflection group on the future of Europe beyond 2020.