Skip to main content
Sister Publication Links
  • Automotive News
  • Automobilwoche
  • Automotive News Canada
  • Automotive News Mexico
Subscribe
  • Subscribe
  • Newsletters
  • Login
  • HOME
  • News
    • Photos
    • Automakers
    • Suppliers
    • Sales By Market
    • Environment/Emissions
    • Latest Launches
    • Sales and Retail
    • Car Cutaways
    • On The Move
    • China's Baoneng boosts stake in Qoros
      Citroen says Ami One two-seater is a new concept for affordable mobility
      EU, Japan back automatic braking regulation
      German auto jobs at risk from hard Brexit
    • Driv spinoff to build smart suspension systems
      Faurecia hopes to outperform uncertain market
      Plastic Omnium posts strong results despite global production slump
      Sweden's Veoneer forecasts flat sales in 2019
    • Porsche, Alfa Romeo and Nissan take big hits as European sales fall 5% in January
      Russia sales rise nearly 1% in January despite VAT increase
      Audi, Fiat, BMW among losers as Spanish sales fall 8% in January
      Volvo, VW gain sales in UK market down nearly 2% in January as diesel plunge continues
    • Volvo blurs the wagon/SUV line with the V60 Cross Country
      view gallery
      7 photos
      New Range Rover Evoque designed for the 'urban jungle'
      Range Rover Evoque gets hybrid tech to cut emissions
      Tarraco gives Seat a flagship SUV to help retain wealthy buyers
    • Ferrari will unveil V-8 hybrid supercar this year
      Mercedes outsold Audi in China last month on sedan demand
      Tesla's Musk visits Norway to review delivery delays
      Europe's minicar segment to shrink as VW, PSA mull axing their smallest cars
    • Suppliers to the new Porsche Panamera
      Suppliers to the new Peugeot 5008
      Suppliers to the new Seat Ibiza
      Suppliers to the new VW Touareg
    • Ford names new chief government relations officer
      Daimler appoints Airbus exec as finance chief
      VW China CEO to join VW brand's management board
      Mini USA names marketing veteran McKenna head of product planning
    • Geneva Photo Gallery
    • Beijing Photo Gallery
    • Frankfurt Photo Gallery
    • Paris Photo Gallery
    • Shanghai Photo Gallery
  • Auto Shows
    • Geneva Auto Show
    • Frankfurt Auto Show
    • Paris Auto Show
    • Beijing Auto Show
    • Shanghai Auto Show
    • Aston Martin teases new hypercar ahead of Geneva debut
      Bugatti to unveil $18 million special edition named after Ferdinand Piech, report says
      Subaru Viziv Adrenaline concept to debut at Geneva
      Citroen says Ami One two-seater is a new concept for affordable mobility
    • Bugatti considers four-door model for 2024
      Frankfurt photo booth
      Frankfurt's best and wurst
      Merkel says German car industry must work to rebuild trust
    • Vietnam's first automaker now has names for first sedan, SUV
      Bugatti mulls SUV as part of broader model range
      Ferrari Monza supercars will earn $755 million in revenue
      China's GAC likely to debut in Europe with an EV
    • VW will launch SOL EV brand in China with subcompact crossover
      view gallery
      9 photos
      BMW's iX3 concept heralds electric expansion
      view gallery
      9 photos
      BMW will export iX3 electric SUV to Europe, U.S. from China
      view gallery
      15 photos
      Mercedes-Maybach is betting on a hybrid SUV-sedan look
    • view gallery
      7 photos
      Jeep finds green groove with plug-in hybrid SUV concept
      Ferrari, Aston Martin, Maserati sales soar in China as rich snub austerity push
      China's luxury market to grow to 3M a year, Audi, Mercedes predict
      view gallery
      10 photos
      Mercedes hints at new styling with sedan concept
  • Opinion
    • Blogs
    • Luca Ciferri
    • Douglas A. Bolduc
    • Paul McVeigh
    • Is Honda's UK plant closure the beginning of a Japanese Brexit?
      Ford's 'redesign' for Europe emphasizes SUVs, LCVs
      Russia's Google, Yandex, impresses with its self-driving tech
      Renault Twizy gets new life in Korea as motorcycle replacement
    • Is Honda's UK plant closure the beginning of a Japanese Brexit?
      Ford's 'redesign' for Europe emphasizes SUVs, LCVs
      Russia's Google, Yandex, impresses with its self-driving tech
      Renault Twizy gets new life in Korea as motorcycle replacement
    • Is Honda's UK plant closure the beginning of a Japanese Brexit?
      Ford's 'redesign' for Europe emphasizes SUVs, LCVs
      Russia's Google, Yandex, impresses with its self-driving tech
      Renault Twizy gets new life in Korea as motorcycle replacement
    • Is Honda's UK plant closure the beginning of a Japanese Brexit?
      Ford's 'redesign' for Europe emphasizes SUVs, LCVs
      Russia's Google, Yandex, impresses with its self-driving tech
      Renault Twizy gets new life in Korea as motorcycle replacement
  • Maps
    • E-Car & Component Map of Europe
    • Powertrain Map of Europe
    • Assembly Plant Map of Europe
  • Supplements
    • Connected Car
    • Talk From The Top
    • BMW 100
    • Car Cutaways
  • EVENTS & AWARDS
    • Automotive News Europe Congress
    • Rising Stars
    • Eurostars
    • Leading Women
  • E-MAGAZINE
    • Read the latest issue
    • Download the app
    • Subscribe
  • More
    • E-Magazine
    • Contact Us
    • 2019 Media Kit
    • About Us
MENU
Breadcrumb
  1. Home
  2. Automotive News Europe
October 10, 2018 01:00 AM

German industry says new CO2 target threatens jobs

Edward Taylor
  • Tweet
  • Share
  • Share
  • Email
  • More
    Print

    FRANKFURT -- European Union plans to cut carbon dioxide emissions from vehicles by 35 percent by 2030 pose a threat to Germany as a car-building nation, auto industry association VDA said.

    "It is more than regrettable that the majority of member nations did not find the strength to strike a balance between protecting jobs and protecting the climate," VDA president Bernard Mattes said in a statement on Wednesday.

    "Job security is lessened and Germany as an industrial location has been weakened," said Mattes, a former chief of Ford's German operations. The VDA represents automakers such as Ford, Volkswagen, BMW and Daimler.

    "With yesterday's vote we missed a chance to shape CO2 regulation for the time after 2021 in an economic and technologically realistic manner," Mattes said.

    EU governments need to take on more of the financial burden of building out networks of charging stations if they wanted swifter adoption of low-pollution electric cars, he said.

    EU environment ministers agreed late on Tuesday to seek the 35 percent reduction. Several countries had sought a 40 percent cut, but softened their position during late night negotiations.

    Volkswagen Group CEO Herbert Diess warned that the CO2 target could have dire consequences. "An industry can collapse faster than many believe," Diess told the daily Sueddeutsche Zeitung on Wednesday.

    A 40 percent cut in car emissions by 2030 would result in the loss of about a quarter of VW's factory jobs, or 100,000 positions, Diess said. The 35 percent reduction "does not look much better," he said.

    Revisions clause

    German Chancellor Angela Merkel endorsed a deal, describing the reduction target as "defensible," partly because of the scope for later revising them.

    "(There is) a revisions clause for 2021, since the question of how fast we can cut carbon dioxide emissions depends on the extent of market penetration by electric cars or other cars with alternative propulsion systems," she said. "Under these circumstances I think the agreement is wholly defensible."

    Merkel said the agreement at least provided certainty to European automakers.

    In an indication of the depths of divisions in environmentally-minded Germany over the role of its most important export industry, the toughened targets failed to win over the opposition.

    "A 35 percent cut is nothing like enough for the challenges of tomorrow," said Greens leader Anton Hofreiter. "The government must take its foot off the brake in climate matters."

    Related Articles
    Automakers criticize EU's 35% CO2 reduction target
    German coalition parties fight over diesel fines
    German automakers' opposition to CO2 goal may backfire
    Monthly E-Magazine
    Thumbnail
    View latest issue
    See our archive
    Sign up for free newsletters
    EMAIL ADDRESS

    Please enter a valid email address.

    Please enter your email address.

    Please select at least one newsletter to subscribe.

    You can unsubscribe at any time through links in these emails. For more information, see our Privacy Policy.

    Get Free Newsletters

    Sign up and get the best of Automotive News Europe delivered straight to your email inbox, free of charge. Choose your news – we will deliver.

    You can unsubscribe at any time through links in these emails. For more information, see our Privacy Policy.

    Automotive News Europe Monthly E-Magazine

    Sign up to receive your free link to each monthly issue of Automotive News Europe as soon as it's published.

    GET THE E-MAGAZINE
    Connect with Us
    • Twitter
    • Facebook
    • LinkedIn
    • Instagram

    Founded in 1996, Automotive News Europe is the preferred information source for decision-makers and opinion leaders operating in Europe.

    Contact Us

    1155 Gratiot Avenue
    Detroit MI  48207-2997
    Tel: +1 877-812-1584


    Email Us

    Resources
    • About us
    • Contact Us
    • 2019 Media Kit
    • Advertise with Us
    • Ad Choices Ad Choices
    • Sitemap
    Awards
    • Rising Stars
    • Eurostars
    • Leading Women
    Legal
    • Terms and Conditions
    • Privacy Policy
    Copyright © 1996-2019. Crain Communications, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
    • HOME
    • News
      • Photos
        • Geneva Photo Gallery
        • Beijing Photo Gallery
        • Frankfurt Photo Gallery
        • Paris Photo Gallery
        • Shanghai Photo Gallery
      • Automakers
      • Suppliers
      • Sales By Market
      • Environment/Emissions
      • Latest Launches
      • Sales and Retail
      • Car Cutaways
      • On The Move
    • Auto Shows
      • Geneva Auto Show
      • Frankfurt Auto Show
      • Paris Auto Show
      • Beijing Auto Show
      • Shanghai Auto Show
    • Opinion
      • Blogs
      • Luca Ciferri
      • Douglas A. Bolduc
      • Paul McVeigh
    • Maps
      • E-Car & Component Map of Europe
      • Powertrain Map of Europe
      • Assembly Plant Map of Europe
    • Supplements
      • Connected Car
      • Talk From The Top
      • BMW 100
      • Car Cutaways
    • EVENTS & AWARDS
      • Automotive News Europe Congress
      • Rising Stars
      • Eurostars
      • Leading Women
    • E-MAGAZINE
      • Read the latest issue
      • Download the app
      • Subscribe
    • More
      • E-Magazine
      • Contact Us
      • 2019 Media Kit
      • About Us