Car manufacturers could take advantage of new European emissions rules to push sales of “fake electric” vehicles, green transport campaigners have warned. EU leaders agreed on a plan this week to cut CO2 pollution from new cars by over a third by 2030, including measures to incentivise the rollout of electric vehicles. But green group Transport & Environment said companies could use high-polluting “plug-in hybrid” vehicles to supply half of all the low emission cars required to comply with stricter targets. While this would meet goals on paper, the group warned that if the industry takes this path of least resistance it would jeopardise the continent’s climate targets. Currently the plug-in hybrid market is dominated by large SUVs with small batteries that are rarely charged due to their limited range.
Independent 30th March 2019 read more »
Donald Trump has issued a new permit for a controversial oil pipeline that critics say will devastate local communities and prove disastrous for the environment. The move comes in spite of a federal judge blocking the Keystone XL project in November, saying the government had not fully considered oil spills and other impacts, and must conduct another review. The president said the new permit replaced the previous one granted two years ago, with a spokesman explaining that it “dispels any uncertainty” about the project. It is intended to speed up the development of the pipeline, which is designed to transport crude oil from tar sands in western Canada to the US Gulf Coast.
Independent 30th March 2019 read more »
