NetZeroCities announced the final call for cities to join the two-year Pilot Cities Programme commencing in September 2024, aiming to accelerate towards achieving their 2030 climate-neutrality goals. The call for applications is exclusively open to Mission Cities not yet enrolled in the programme.
Successful cities will explore and test pathways relevant to their key emission domains, generating insight that can guide decarbonisation efforts across other European cities. Prospective applicants can read about some of the transformational activities of current Pilot Cities here.
For this cohort, between 18 million and 26 million Euros will be distributed in total with awards ranging between 500,000 – 600,00 Euros, 1,000,000 Euros, or 1,500,000 Euros. Applications are open from 16 January until 18 March, with a decision to be announced on 20 May. All the information related to the call is available on the Pilot Cities Programme page and on the EU Funding Portal.
A recent study has revealed an 80% increase in the disparity between official and real-word car emissions over the past 5 years.
The study conducted by the International Council for Clean Transportation (ICCT) has revealed this increase despite the use of advanced testing procedures aimed at minimizing such gaps.
The ICCT, renowned for its involvement in uncovering the “dieselgate” scandal, scrutinized CO2 emission data from passenger cars across Europe and discovered discrepancies between official figures and actual emissions. The ICCT has been tracking vehicle emission disparities since the early 2010s, with the latest data revealing a notable rise. In 2022, the gap for vehicles registered in Germany rose to a reported 14%, from 8% in 2018.
Jan Dornoff, the lead researcher at ICCT, expressed concern about the widening rift, emphasizing its potential to undermine the European Union’s efforts to mitigate transport-related CO2 emissions. The study, which analyzed CO2 emission s reported by the European Environment Agency alongside real-world fuel consumption information from over 160,000 combustion engine and hybrid cars, underscores the urgent need for action.
Revised testing
Following the “dieselgate” scandal in 2015, in which major automakers such as Volkswagen were found to have used so-called “defeat devices” to fraudulently lower their emissions, European testing procedures were revised. In September 2017, the Worldwide Harmonized Light Vehicles Test Procedure (WLTP) was instituted. The test is designed to be more representative of real driving emissions than its predecessor, the New European Driving Cycle. Despite these efforts to enhance accuracy, the study indicates a persistent widening of the gap between test results and real-world emissions.
While WLTP led to a 7.3% reduction in reported CO2 emissions between 2018 and 2022, real-world emissions decreased by a mere 2.3% during the same period. Dr. Peter Mock, ICCT Europe’s managing director, advocates for a correction mechanism to ensure manufacturers meet emissions reduction targets effectively.
Under current EU legislation, new vehicles are mandated to utilize On Board Fuel Consumption Monitoring (OBFCM) devices, expected to provide more accurate data on CO2 emissions by 2030. However, the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA) disputes the study’s findings, arguing that OBFCM data, collected since 2021, lacks sufficient representation of real-world conditions.
The ACEA maintains that while WLTP tests aim to simulate real driving patterns, variations in driving conditions significantly impact real-world fuel efficiency. The association underscores the complexity of factors influencing real-world driving conditions, such as traffic, terrain, and weather, which may deviate from controlled laboratory environments.
430 European cities to receive support to develop their Sustainable Urban Mobility Plans (SUMPs)
A recommendation was adopted on 8 March by the European Commission, designed to help member states to support their cities and towns in improving urban mobility and cutting transport emissions. The 430 major cities along the trans-European transport network will receive support to develop their SUMPs.
National programmes are recommended to support the planning and implementation of urban mobility, managed by a dedicated office. Cities should expect support in the form of guidance materials, traningin programmes and capacity building, alongside technical expertise and financial support.
Cities and towns will be encouraged to participate in peer learning and networking, and the sharing of good practices. Coordinated awareness-raising campaigns are also envisaged. Representatives from national programme management offices will be invited to work with the new Expert Group on Urban Mobility. Member States are expected to inform the Commission annually of actions taken in the light of the Recommendation.
Under the recommendation, the concept of SUMPs has been updated to integrate latest policy developments and strategies to make use of new mobility services, address climate change, and reduce road fatalities in cities. These policy developments prioritise such affordable and sustainable transport modes as shared mobility services, walking, cycling, public transport and zero-emission urban logistics. The update to the SUMPs concept is a result of the commitment to the European Commission’s 2021 Urban Mobility Framework.
In Australia and New Zealand, active transport lobbyists and Green MPs are pushing for the introduction of financial purchase incentives to encourage corporate e-bike purchasing schemes
WeRide Australia officials were scheduled to meet on 23rd March with the Federal Minister for Transport and Infrastructure, Catherine King, to push for salary packaging assistance to be extended to e-bikes. This would bring provisions in line with those recently introduced for electric cars in Australia, in a move designed to tackle emission reduction goals.
WeRide Australia executive officer Peter Bourke stated, “We know even if every single vehicle purchased from today is an electric car, we will not get anywhere near the emission reduction goals the government has signed up to for the transport section. We’re saying electric cars are part of the solution but they are not the complete solution.
“Anyone in the bicycle sector is well aware of the benefits of the bicycle, whether it’s the health benefits and reducing congestion but right now we’re talking about emissions reduction. The transport sector needs to do some heavy lifting in terms of reduction of emissions and e-bikes are certainly part of it, so they should be considered the same way at e-cars when it comes to incentives for more people to buy them.”
He also referenced the UK’s Cycle to Work scheme, pointing to the potential to persuade people onto two wheels: “In the UK, 40% of people who took out a bike through the Cycle to Work scheme hadn’t been considering buying a bike and 40% were women. It simply makes bike riding more attractive.”
In New Zealand, a Taxation Bill is going through parliament, with a supplementary order paper from Green MP Julie Anne Genter proposing a scheme for employers to offer their staff e-bikes without incurring fringe benefit tax.
Deloitte tax partner Robyn Walker said, “There is definitely a trend toward employers wanting to provide benefits which have health benefits, so I wouldn’t be surprised if this was a popular option – and more popular than providing public transport.”
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