The EU Delays Its Auto Climate Targets After All

On May 8, 2025, the European Union made an important turn in its climate policy for transport when the European Parliament voted to adopt a proposal to relax the CO₂ emission reduction targets for new passenger cars and light commercial vehicles, which were originally set for 2025.

The decision, made after being supported by the ambassadors of the member states the day before, formalized a compromise according to which vehicle emissions will no longer be assessed individually in each year, but will instead take into account a three-year average for the period 2025–2027. In this way, car manufacturers are allowed to compensate for any weaker results in one year in subsequent years, effectively extending the deadline for meeting the 2025 targets.

The change is part of a broader Action Plan for the Automotive Industry that the European Commission presented in March in an attempt to address the challenges facing the sector, including slowing sales of electric vehicles, high production costs, factory closures, and job losses.

However, the vote on the measure has sparked a sharp reaction from environmental groups. The Transport & Environment Initiative warned that the decision comes at a time when electric car sales in the EU are seeing strong growth — up 45 percent in the first three months of 2025 compared to the same period in 2024 — and that the move threatens the momentum and investment certainty needed for the transition to zero emissions.

While the targets for 2030 and 2035 remain formally unchanged, many wonder whether May 8, 2025, set a precedent that could weaken a whole range of future EU climate ambitions if industrial pressures continue.

• Also See: EU: Petrol And Diesel Powered Vehicles May Last Longer Than 2035