EU Leaps for Carbon Neutrality

EU to ban sales of internal combustion engines models from 2035

Cub-reporter Park Won-wook

wookbufs@gmail.com 

Carbon emissions, which had recently slowed down for a while due to COVID-19, have begun to increase again. The EU is at an important crossroads in its commitment to energy transformation and action on climate change.

The European Union produced approximately 2.73 billion tons of carbon dioxide emissions in 2021. It is an increase of more than 6% compared to the level in 2020. Automobiles account for about 12% of Europe's greenhouse gas emissions. The European Union struck a deal on a law to effectively ban the sale of new petrol and diesel cars from 2035, aiming to speed up the switch to electric vehicles and combat climate change. EU countries and the European Parliament have agreed to achieve a 100% reduction in CO2 emissions by 2035. 

The bill stipulates that automobile manufacturers should reduce the carbon emissions from new cars sold after 2035. Compared to 1990, EU countries will reduce carbon emissions by 55% by 2030 and virtually ban the sale of internal combustion engines emitting carbon from 2035. As such, it will become impossible to sell internal combustion engine vehicles using fuels such as gasoline and diesel. For small carmakers, the carbon emission ban is delayed to 2036. In addition, the European Parliament says funding should be directed to help small and medium businesses in vulnerable areas and which are part of the car supply chain, in order to facilitate the transition to ending sales of internal combustion engines. 

The EU's head of climate change policy Frans Timmermans said. "The transition to electric vehicles is going much faster than anybody had ever anticipated, but then we are under an obligation to create the right incentives for that. So, the charging infrastructure should be there.""This is a historic decision, as it sets for the first time a clear decarbonization pathway - with targets in 2025, 2030 and 2035 and aligned with our goal of climate neutrality by 2050." Pascal Canfin, the chairman of the environment committee of the European Parliament, said. "This sector, which accounts for 16% of European emissions at the moment, will be carbon-neutral by 2050."

 On the other hand, the German auto industry is protesting against the EU's de facto ban on selling new internal combustion engines from 2035. This is because using e-fuel, a carbon-neutral synthetic fuel, there is no carbon emission even when using an internal combustion engine. Nevertheless, the German Automobile Association says the EU has hastily set a high target and calls for allowing the sale of internal combustion engine cars that use e-fuel even after 2035.

 E-fuel is a synthetic fuel that is attracting attention as means of realizing carbon neutrality in the transportation field and is made by synthesizing carbon dioxide and nitrogen with hydrogen obtained by the electrolysis of water. It is recognized as a 'carbon neutral fuel' which does not increase the carbon concentration in the atmosphere by getting clean hydrogen using renewable energy. For example solar, wind, water, collecting, using carbon dioxide and nitrogen in the atmosphere. It is an eco-friendly fuel similar to petroleum-based fuels such as gasoline, diesel, and aviation oil. However, it has cleaner properties than that and can replace fossil fuels that emit carbon dioxide. 

 The EU aims to be climate-neutral by 2050-an economy with net-zero greenhouse gas emissions. As such, it is time to think about the environment as much as it is for development.