Don't let luxury carmakers stall important legislation

The Financial Times features in its letters section (21 December) one from RSC chief executive, Dr Richard Pike, expressing concerns over the resistance to implement new legislation to cut carbon dioxide emissions.

Sir, 

Yesterday, the European Commission hosted a debate on cutting carbon dioxide emissions from cars, and on the levels of fines that would be imposed for failing to meet mandatory emissions targets.  

Already it is clear that the battlelines have been drawn between environment and industry in what promises to be the first of many such encounters.  However, this is a battle the environment can ill afford to lose, and the luxury car market cannot be allowed to stall, already at this early stage, the important legislation that is necessary. 

With the proposed standard of 120 grams of CO2 per km for new cars being resisted by the automotive industry, the Royal Society of Chemistry is seriously concerned over how stakeholders will react to the even more significant reductions which must be implemented in the near future if we are to have a fighting chance of halting the rise in emissions from road transport.   

The EU needs to look at the bigger picture where it will be necessary to rapidly move to a standard of 100 grams per km. Current targets are only the initial phase and we cannot dig in our heels at the first hurdle. 

Richard Pike
Chief Executive, Royal Society of Chemistry