NGOs lambast "dirty deal" between government and carmakers on diesel and CO2 emission limits

There is mounting evidence that the German government will oppose stricter car fleet emission limits at EU level in exchange for carmakers’ consent to cover the hardware retrofitting costs in certain types of diesel vehicles, reports the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung. While Chancellor Angela Merkel said she was opposed to going beyond the European Commission’s proposal on future car fleet emission limits, transport minister Andreas Scheuer said his aim was to offer diesel drivers retrofits free of charge.
Sustainable transport association VCD called the reported deal a “dirty horse trade” between government and carmakers. “This dirty deal must be prevented urgently. The government must not pit climate against health protection. We need clean air and ambitious CO₂ limits.”
Environmental NGOs have argued that Germany can only reach its 2030 climate targets for the transport sector with ambitious EU car emission limits and a host of additional measures. The Nature and Biodiversity Conservation Union (NABU) said the deal would "undermine the entire work" of the government's transport task force launched last week that will make suggestions how climate targets for 2030 can be reached in the sector.

Find background in the articles Germany launches task force to kickstart shift to sustainable mobility and German environment ministry pushes for tougher EU car emission rules, as well as the dossiers Cargo transport and the energy transition and The Energiewende and German carmakers.