Atmosphere & Energy

OTTAWA - Canada announced on Tuesday its latest set of regulations on cars and light trucks to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions as the UN climate talks entered its second day in Doha, Qatar.

The proposed regulations - expected to be finalized in 2013 - would require cars with model years 2017 to 2025 to cut on-road emissions by an average of 5 percent every year.

Light trucks, with model years 2017 to 2021, will be required to achieve an average of 3.5 percent reduction in annual GHG emissions, and a 5-percent cut for model years 2022 to 2025.

"Compared to 2008 models, vehicles rolling off the line in 2025 will produce almost 50 percent fewer greenhouse gas emissions and consume up to 50 percent less fuel," said Environment Minister Peter Kent while announcing the newly proposed regulations at a car dealership.
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New rules aimed at protecting the environment will drive up the price of new cars and trucks by thousands of dollars but save motorists money at the pump.

The federal government has hitched its wagon to U.S. President Barack Obama’s aggressive new vehicle fuel standards, which would slash greenhouse gas emissions from tailpipes after 2020 but elevate the cost of vehicles.

Environment Minister Peter Kent said Tuesday that Ottawa will match a proposal from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to require that, by 2025, cars and light trucks be 50-per-cent more fuel efficient and emit half as much greenhouse gases as current models.

The new regulations for cars built between 2016 and 2025 would mean both environmental and economic benefits for motorists by reducing pollution and lowering the fuel costs of operating their vehicles, Mr. Kent said.
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