EU reaches deal on emissions calculation for cars and vans

Brussels – Voluntary reporting of greenhouse gas emissions, but linked to the International Standard ISO 14083:2023 parameters: The European Parliament and the EU Council reach an agreement on sustainability-proof cars and vans, introducing new, more harmonised rules to calculate and report the pollution impact.

Currently, many transport services measure their greenhouse gas emissions; however, they often employ different methods, making it complicated to compare and creating confusion about how environmentally friendly transport means and services are. With the agreement reached in the negotiations, transport companies will no longer be obliged to calculate their greenhouse gas emissions, but will be free to choose whether or not to do so. Should they decide to do so, e.g., for reporting, contractual, or marketing purposes, or when required by other EU regulations, they will be obliged to apply the common EU methodology, based on the International Standard ISO 14083:2023.

This standard considers all emissions generated during the entire fuel production process from extraction to its use by the transport service. To improve accuracy, the agreement favours the use of primary data over estimates or default values of GHG emissions, while providing incentives to operators who measure their emissions directly.

To address the needs of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), the European Parliament has obtained a commitment to reduce administrative burdens through the development of a public, simple, and free calculation tool, accompanied by an instruction manual. Four years are allowed to develop this tool.

Thomas Danielsen, Transport Minister of Denmark, the country holding the rotating presidency of the EU Council, welcomes the deal. “Thanks to this agreement, citizens and companies will have a clearer view of the greenhouse gas emissions generated by the transport services they use,” he commented at the end of the negotiations. “This will also benefit transport operators, who will now be able to account for their emissions based on this single, globally harmonised standard.”

Also pleased Antonio Decaro (Pd/S&D), rapporteur of the measure on behalf of the Parliament’s Environment Committee: “ By promoting the use of primary data, we are ensuring more accurate measurement of greenhouse gas emissions, consistent with Europe’s climate objectives. This also sends a strong signal to consumers, who will be able to make their choices in a more informed and transparent way.”

English version by the Translation Service of Withub