Take an example from the rules for car manufacturers: Set energy companies a rapidly decreasing maximum of CO2emissions for their products. This might accelerate the energy transition considerably.
A few years ago, car manufacturers were told by the European Union that their passenger cars would quickly emit less CO2 have to emit. The cars they sell in 2030 will have an average of 37.5 percent less CO2 than 2020 cars do.
You can’t achieve that with petrol and diesel engines alone. They may be a few percent more economical, but that will soon stop. So the message from the EU was: make sure you sell a large number of electric cars in 2030, because they will significantly reduce your average emissions.
Fine for black sheep
Targets have also been set for the years up to 2030. If you do not comply, you will have to pay a hefty fine. If you fall below the maximum, like Tesla, which only supplies electric cars, you can sell the difference to a competitor who ends up above the maximum.
That seems like a lame trick for black sheep to avoid a fine, but in fact you pay a kind of fine, but now to a competitor. A competitor who can try to increase his lead with your money.
Car manufacturers who had hoped that the checks by the EU would not be too bad until 2030 are disappointed, and even worse: the EU tightened the requirements last year. In 2030, new cars must not have 37.5, but 50 percent less CO2 expel.
In 2035, the CO2emissions from new cars even reach zero. Then only electric cars can be sold (except for a small number of exclusive cars). Despite much grumbling, car manufacturers have accepted the scheme and are now focusing on all-CO2-free future.
Also for the gas pump
As far as I’m concerned, we should arrange something similar for the energy suppliers. And then I think of both the companies that provide electricity and gas at our homes, and the oil companies that provide petrol and diesel at the pump.
The comparison is not entirely valid, and in particular the idea of using only CO in 20352supplying free energy will not be feasible. But, for example, the electricity supplied to households must really contain CO in 20352– can be free. And that also applies to the current that fills the batteries of the electric cars via charging stations.
This becomes more difficult for petrol. It would technically be possible to sell only biodiesel, biogas and biopetrol at the pump, but in practice that is not feasible. Certainly not because the investments would only be for a few years; following all, the combustion engine is well on its way to its final destination. Because petrol cars may still be sold until 2035, you must also allow petrol to be supplied for this for at least fifteen years following that.
Nice task
But you might arrange that on the way to 2035, and beyond, companies such as Shell and Esso are obliged to use CO2 for an increasing share of their energy.2– to release. If they now sell roughly 99 percent petrol and diesel and 1 percent electricity at their pump/charging station, then that should be 97 to 3 percent in 2025, for example, and then might rise to 75/25 in 2030 and 50/50 in 2035 .
Bear in mind that although 25 percent of new cars, regarding 100,000 cars, are now electric, that is only 1 percent of our total fleet of 9 million. Moreover, all electricity that is sold must also be 100 percent CO2become free.
It is therefore quite a task to reduce the ‘fuels’ for the car fleet of 2035 by an average of 50 percent less CO2.2emissions. Something similar applies to the energy we use at home. Although gas-fired central heating boilers will no longer be available in 2035, the existing central heating boilers will need gas for another fifteen years.
Perverse incentive
However, by setting fines for failure to meet the target figures, you will also motivate the oil companies and gas suppliers to accelerate the transition to clean electricity for their customers. They still have a wonderful revenue model from their oil and gas, see their exorbitant profits of the past year. This perverse incentive to continue to sell mainly fossil fuels must come to an end quickly.
In his weblog ‘Vincent wants sun’, Vincent Dekker highlights innovations and developments in the field of green energy, close to and far from home. More episodes at Trouw.nl/vincentwilzon. Vincent also has a podcast, including regarding electric cars – listen to it via this link or look it up via the well-known channels.
Read also:
Will all new cars be electric in 2025? Only then?
In the Netherlands, only electric cars may be sold from 2025, says the House of Representatives. Far too ambitious, opponents think. But it may actually happen sooner.
