Vehicle emission standards
This is an established method of limiting greenhouse gas emissions from vehicles and of increasing vehicle efficiency. Authorities set standards which regulate how much CO2 a car can emit per mile, and in some countries how much fuel a car can use per mile. The system sets strong guidelines for the vehicle industry. In a world in which emission requirements are constantly being tightened, and a phase-out of fossil fuels for private cars is only decades away, these standards are forcing car manufacturers to think anew and to develop new technology.
It will be years before a global emissions system is in place. The EU has introduced standards that the US will not attain for at least seven years, despite tighter, new American emission regulations. But the system is gradually gaining a foothold and will be very important in preventing the growth of CO2 emissions as car ownership increases. China has introduced very strong emissions regulations and India is going to introduce emission standards in 2011.
