Car industry "needs help to meet carbon goals"

An integrated approach involving more than carmakers is needed for the EU to meet its target of cutting average new vehicle carbon dioxide emissions to 120 grams per kilometre by 2010, a high-level group on the future of the car industry has concluded.

"It can't be met just by changing vehicle design," EU enterprise commissioner Günter Verheugen said at the presentation of the final report from the Cars 21 group in Brussels on Monday. The line is close to that of EU car industry group Acea, which has been resisting pressure to commit to achieving average 120 g/km in an extended voluntary agreement (EED 23/06/05).