European carmakers support Bali's Conference on climate change


This can be called a case of greenwashing or simply an honest declaration of good intentions. The European Automobile Manufacturers Association (ACEA), has issued a formal declaration supporting and encouraging the UN-sponsored ministerial talks on climate change in Bali, Indonesia. The letter is signed by the members' CEOs.

In the ACEA's press release (which you can find after the jump), the group describes their efforts to make more efficient cars and hopes for a collaboration with legislators to create policies that reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The CEOs clearly ask for policies that encourage the purchase of cars with "carbon-lowering technologies," advanced technologies and sustainable alternative fuels. The also say that they spend a lot of money on technology (20 billion EUR), so they also ask for R&D support.

The ACEA was founded in 1991 and represents the interests of the thirteen European car, truck and bus makers: BMW, DAF, Daimler, Fiat, Ford, GM, MAN, Porsche, PSA, Renault, Scania, Volkswagen and Volvo

[Source: ACEA] Brussels, 7 December 2007

Sir,

As the CEOs of thirteen auto companies producing and marketing our products around the world,
Board Members of the European Automobile Manufacturers' Association (ACEA), we write to
give support and encouragement to the UN-sponsored ministerial talks on climate change in Bali,
Indonesia. We think it vital that they work towards the kind of comprehensive agreement that our
planet needs.

The climate change scenarios described in this year's reports from the International Panel on
Climate Change indicate that governments must embrace sound and holistic measures to follow on
from the Kyoto agreement. Inevitably, any such package, which has to be global in its application,
will shape the framework in which our industry alongside many others will make our contributions
to carbon reduction.

We are proud of our achievements in reducing greenhouse gas emissions from our vehicles and are
ready to build upon them in pursuit of still better products. We shall be all the more successful if
we can develop a partnership with policymakers based on a common vision of what our industry
can achieve, how this could be enhanced by other policies and in what timeframe. Coherent public
policies would, for example, encourage consumers to choose vehicles with carbon lowering
technologies, boosting demand for advanced cars and for sustainable alternative fuels.
For our part, much of the €20 billion we spend every year on research & development is dedicated
to developing vehicles that emit less CO2 and will ultimately function wholly or largely without
fossil fuels. We devote these investments without losing sight of other important needs and
requirements, such as increasing road safety, improving air quality and continued employment for
the millions of workers in the automotive industry.

Widespread further innovations will be required across all sectors to challenge climate change and
we are fully focused to contribute. We need to be tremendously inventive: there is not just one
sector, technology or measure that will solve climate change; the solutions are multiple and may
also differ per region and person. In a framework that will enable us to sustain and increase
research & development, we can say with confidence that the automotive industry will meet the
expectations of our customers and the societies in which we operate.

Norbert REITHOFER BMW GROUP
Wendelin WIEDEKING PORSCHE
Aad L. GOUDRIAAN DAF TRUCKS
Christian STREIFF PSA Peugeot Citroën
Dieter ZETSCHE DAIMLER
Carlos GHOSN RENAULT
Sergio MARCHIONNE FIAT GROUP
Leif OESTLING SCANIA
Lewis BOOTH FORD
Martin WINTERKORN VOLKSWAGEN
Carl Peter FORSTER GENERAL MOTORS
Leif JOHANSSON VOLVO
Hakan SAMUELSSON MAN

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