MEPs vote for single method for calculating GHG emissions

On Wednesday 10 April, the European Parliament adopted (by 349 votes in favour, 243 against and 12 abstentions) its negotiating position on the draft “EU count emission” regulation, which includes a common methodology for companies to calculate their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.

This methodology should make it possible to compare the carbon footprint of different modes of transport and prevent “greenwashing”.

Currently, the EU does not have a unified system to measure GHG emissions from the transport sector and companies use different ways to calculate their carbon footprint.

This may mislead consumers when choosing transport services based on their environmental performance and create conditions for greenwashing, which MEPs want to prevent.

MEPs support the proposal to count GHG emissions stemming from the use of a vehicle, but call on the Commission to table, within two years from the entry into force of these new rules, a broader method, which would calculate the GHG emissions coming from producing, maintaining and disposing vehicles, i.e. its life-cycle.

This draft is part of a package of proposals for greening EU freight transport.

CountEmissionsEU

In July 2023, the European Commission tabled a package of three proposals for the greening of freight transport. Among them is a proposal for a single methodology for calculating GHG emissions from transport services, referred to as CountEmissionsEU.

The initiative covers both freight and passenger transport. It aims to ensure that the GHG emissions data provided regarding transport services are reliable and accurate, to allow fair comparison between transport services. It establishes a methodological framework but does not govern where it has to be used.

Nonetheless, if an organisation decides to calculate and disclose information on GHG emissions from transport services it needs to use the methodology provided. To avoid extra red tape for small and medium-sized enterprises, the proposal exempts these companies from mandatory verification of adherence to the rules.