“The latest revelation that the polluting Volkswagen diesel cars are being sold in Australia is a warning signal to us all to be more vigilant about emissions standards. However, the government’s concern over the sale of these cars rings hollow, given Australia’s emissions standards seriously lag those of other developed nations,” said Nikola Casule, Greenpeace Australia Pacific’s climate and energy campaigner.
“The United States has some of the highest emissions standards globally for limiting smog-causing nitrogen oxide and other harmful vehicle pollutants, with Europe far behind.
“Australia adopts European emissions standards, but we are moving at a snail’s pace in terms of implementation. So far, we have also put caveats on these standards, like excluding limits on how much particulate matter is emitted, or the monitoring of nitrogen oxide levels.
“And unlike many other developed nations like the US or Japan, Australia doesn’t have compulsory standards for carbon dioxide emissions and fuel economy for light vehicles.
“Most Australians would be shocked to find out that we don’t have mandatory fuel economy and carbon dioxide emissions standards, especially since light vehicles make up one-tenth of our overall greenhouse gas emissions,” Dr Casule said.
Dr Casule said Labor and Liberal governments had not acted on ongoing calls, the most recent from the Climate Change Authority in 2014, for Australia to introduce mandatory limits on carbon dioxide emissions and fuel economy standards for light vehicles. These include passenger cars, SUVs and light commercial vehicles such as vans and pickup trucks.
“While the US and European Union regulate greenhouse gas emissions to protect the environment, Australia once again is in the stone ages where this is concerned.
“Australia’s target for reducing its greenhouse gas emissions and its weak Direct Action Plan to tackle climate change are already an international embarrassment.
“Now is the most opportune time to adopt best practice standards on limiting pollutants and greenhouse gases that will protect our environment and health, and help prevent scandals like Volkswagen’s happening again in Australia,” said Dr Casule.
Background:
Regulation of vehicle pollutants (carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, particulate matter):
Current US vehicle emissions standards limit nitrogen oxide emissions to 0.07 grams per mile(0.043 g/km), while the EU has adopted its Euro 6 standard, limiting nitrogen oxide emissions to 0.08 g/km for new light diesel vehicles.
Australia has partially adopted the Euro 5 standard that only limits nitrogen oxide emissions to 0.18 g/km for new light diesel vehicles. It intends to adopt Euro 6 by July 2018, lagging in implementation by 3-4 years.
Regulation of carbon dioxide/greenhouse gas emissions:
The US, Canada, the EU, Japan and Korea all have mandatory light vehicle greenhouse gas emissions and fuel economy standards. Australia does not.
