A leaked memo put out by the centre-right European People's Party (EPP) aimed to weaken the EU's Green Deal policies for reducing car tailpipe pollution, Reuters reported.
What's happening?
The EPP urged that the 2035 ban on harmful tailpipe pollution should be changed. The ban is set to bar the sales of combustion-engine cars with the intent for consumers to purchase electric vehicles — which are drastically better for the environment as they do not run on dirty fuel.
"Those that have set the rules have not provided the necessary market conditions, charging infrastructure, stable incentive schemes, pricing of energy, etc, etc," European Automobile Manufacturers' Association (ACEA) President Luca de Meo told Reuters.
This comes at a time when Europe's car sector is "in turmoil, with thousands of jobs on the line as it struggles with weak demand, Chinese competition, and lower than expected electric vehicle sales."
As the EPP is the largest party in Europe's parliament, it holds significant political sway, with the EU's President Ursula von der Leyen being a member.
Recent successes in weakening green policies have come within the year. Last month, the EU delayed a landmark anti-deforestation law by a year after the EPP pushed back.
Why is this reversal important?
The EU's original plans to cut the sales of carbon-releasing cars from 2035 became a milestone in climate policy. All new cars sold following the law's implementation must have zero carbon pollution, and from 2030, cars sold must have 55% less pollution versus 2021 levels. Transport nearly accounts for a quarter of the EU's pollution, meaning this law would make significant strides in mitigating the changing climate.
However, the move to reverse the policy could keep the pollutant crisis alive. Carbon-polluting cars have been known to excrete hazardous chemicals into the environment, which contributes to polluted air harmful to crops, ecosystems, and humans.
What's being done about the reversal?
Politico reported that the recent European Union election showed that concerns over the environment "simply aren't driving the political agenda as they did when the EU last held elections in 2019."
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Following the June election, Pascale Canfin, a centrist French MEP who served on Parliament's environment committee, mentioned that the election did not produce "a majority to dismantle the Green Deal."
Since then, however, strides have been made to backslide the policy. The Green Deal in its entirety, which goes beyond just car pollution, is not fully on the chopping block. However, the EU's independent science advisers stated that it needs to be even more expansive beyond what was passed, especially addressing farming pollution. Reversal means an even further cry from what climate scientists suggest.
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