Transport-related CO2 emissions in the European Union grew by one-third between 1990 and 2005 and now constitute 27% of the EU total. Of these, the European commission reckons, cars and vans are responsible for about half.

　　On December 19th, as The Economist went to press, the commission was due to publish its final proposals for cleaning up Europe's cars. Although it will be at least a year before they become law and there is still scope for some of the details to change—both the European Parliament and the Council of Ministers will want their say—there is now little doubt that in only a few years' time European carmakers will have to meet the world's strictest CO2-emission standards.

　　At present Europe's cars emit an average of about 160 grams of CO2 per kilometre (g/km). There has been some reduction since carmakers were last threatened with legislation a decade ago, but progress has been painfully slow—about 1.5% a year rather than the 3% needed to meet the voluntary target of 140g/km by 2008 that the industry agreed to a few years ago. The commission is therefore insisting that by 2012, the fleet-average emissions from new cars sold in the EU must not exceed 130g/km, with another 10g/km reduction coming from other sources, such as low rolling-resistance tyres, more efficient air-conditioning and greater use of biofuels.

　　欧盟与运输相关的二氧化碳排放在1990年和2005年之间增加了三分之一，现在占据了欧盟总排放的27%。 根据欧盟的计算，在这其中轿车和运货车的排放大约占一半。

　　12月19日，《经济学家》向新闻界宣布，欧洲委员会即将发布清洁欧洲轿车的最终提案。尽管在提案变成法律前至少还有一年时间，对于某些细节来说还有改变的余地，欧洲议会和部长理事会还是想确定：在几年时间里，欧洲的汽车制造商将要达到世界上最严格二氧化碳排放标准。这一点现在已经没有什么疑问了。

　　目前，欧洲的轿车平均每公里排放160克二氧化碳。自从10年前，欧洲的轿车制造商迫于立法的威胁，已经降低二氧化碳的排放，但是进展非常缓慢，每年约降低1.5%，而不是像业界几年前所同意的每年降3%， 到2008年达到140克/公里的自愿目标。欧洲委员会因此坚持，到2012年， 在欧洲新销售的轿车的平均排放量不得超过130克/公里，额外的10克/公里的减排将来自于其他方面，如低滚动阻力轮胎，更高效的空调和更多地使用生物燃料。

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