EU Seeks To Balance Emissions Controls And Global Competitiveness

The European Union has placed a growing emphasis on climate change policies in recent years, and the week of June 15-19 marks the 10^th annual European Union Sustainable Energy Week focusing on "sustainable mobility," decarbonisation, and other energy topics. Earlier this year, the European Commission released its Energy Union proposal for the Paris Protocol, calling on an agreement and legally binding commitments to reduce global emissions by at least 60% by 2050. The proposal further built on the previous emissions law that the European Union passed approximately two years ago, targeting significant carbon dioxide emissions by 2020.

In light of the increasingly strict emissions targets, the European Automobile Manufacturers Association (ACEA) commissioned a study by FTI Consulting analyzing the links between EU carbon emission regulation and the competitiveness of the EU automotive industry. ACEA's concerns are particularly important for an industry that accounts for