The environmental group Zero has warned of the need to reduce fuel consumption on the road by 5.3% by 2030, commemorated the European Car-Free Day and called for priority measures to be implemented.
“About a year later, Zero has again taken stock of greenhouse gas emissions from road fuel consumption and the findings remain extremely worrying and demand the utmost attention from everyone, but especially from policy makers,” he said.
According to the association, based on data from the Directorate General of Energy and Geology (DGEG), emissions due to “the consumption of road fuels between July 2024 and the same month last year amounted to 17.8 million tonnes (Mt) of carbon dioxide (CO2), which represented a reduction of just 1.8% compared to July 2023.”
At the same time, “diesel, despite a 3.7% reduction, remains the main contributor to this sad table of major contributors to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, with 14 Mt of CO2,” he warned, also pointing out “a worrying increase” in the consumption of IO98 gasoline and IO95 gasoline of 5.4% and 5.2%, respectively.”
The organization recalled that in order to meet the objectives of the National Energy and Climate Plan (PNEC) for 2030, although still insufficient from its perspective, “emissions from the transport sector, which continue to represent more than 30% of the total, must be reduced by approximately 5.3% annually from now on.”
Thus, he warned, the “1.8% reduction observed between July 2023 and July 2024 does not meet the necessary objectives”, arguing that it is “absolutely crucial that 2025 be exemplary in terms of reducing emissions caused by land transport”.
In this regard, the association suggests a set of measures that it considers to be priorities in order to achieve this objective.
According to Zero, it is necessary to implement a truly sustainable multimodal national pass that must “include rail in combination with local and regional public transport networks (rail, road, public bike sharing and the like).”
For the association, the value of this title “should add only 5 euros to the current metropolitan passes, thus having a final value of 45 euros” and should be “accompanied by investments in rolling stock, infrastructure and the hiring of workers with decent careers and attractive working conditions.”
In addition, Zero proposes that “starting next year, at least 15% of the revenue from road tax (IUC, ISP and ISV) be allocated to investments in public transport services throughout the country, including flexible on-demand mobility services, and another 15% to the electrification of vehicles with high usage rates.”
According to the association, “support for scrapping old vehicles and electrification of road transport must increase substantially to 15% of ISP, IUC and ISV revenues” and concentrate on vehicle fleets “with high usage rates”, such as taxis, TVDE, rental vehicles, light and heavy vehicles and passenger cars.
Finally, Cero intends that from 2025, “all new taxi and TVDE (Transport of Passengers in Non-Characterized Vehicles from an Electronic Platform) licenses will be exclusively for 100% electric vehicles,” demanding that from 2030 only fully electric taxis will be allowed and TVDEs will be able to circulate.
Source: Observadora
