Diesel ban looming for 10 German cities – study

Ten German cities considerably exceed EU nitrogen oxide (NOx) limits, making diesel driving bans more likely in 2018, according to calculations by the Center for Automotive Research (CAR), reports Der Tagesspiegel. “Our results for 2017 show that neither software updates […] nor buyer’s premiums have led to extraordinary [emission] reductions” and driving bans are inevitable, the institute said, according to the newspaper. Environment minister Barbara Hendricks is invited to a “last opportunity” meeting by the EU Commission to show how Germany intends to comply with the EU’s air quality standards on 30 January. A crucial ruling by Germany’s Federal Administrative Court expected on 22 February could determine whether German cities could use diesel driving bans to stay within EU air quality limits.

Read the Tagesspiegel article in German here.

Find background on the diesel technology’s role for clean air and climate in the CLEW article Why the German diesel summit matters for climate and energy.