Two months after Copenhagen, the global warming issue remains at the heart of governments’ preoccupations, as they look to implement practical policies to promote alternative energy development. At an interstate summit in Paris on the 4th February, Germany and France clearly displayed their ambition to make progress on these issues.
Among the 80 proposals on the "Franco-German 2020 Schedule" were: the creation of a Franco-German office for renewable energies; an electric vehicle pilot project in Strasbourg and Stuttgart; and the launch of a Franco-German satellite for detecting greenhouse gas emissions.
Electric mobility: a priority issue for European countries
Early 2010 appears to be conducive to the development of electromobility in European countries. In January, José Luis Zapatero announced the launch of a European framework for the electric car, while Germany created an interdepartmental body, also for the electric car.
The latest Franco-German commitments in this area aim to strengthen actions, through the standardisation both of electric vehicles and their infrastructures.
In this regard, the Council of Franco-German ministers has launched a cross-border pilot project in the towns of Strasbourg, Mannheim and Stuttgart in order to develop electric recharging infrastructures. This should come into being in Alsace in mid-2010.
According to the Minister for Industry, Christian Estrosi, an innovative project is essential: "imagine a Europe in which you could not even cross a border in your electric vehicle! It would not make any sense! It is about building a solid foundation that we would offer to other member States. My objective with these foundations is to come to an agreement on a wider consensus and on the deployment of standardised equipment all over Europe".
The study carried out by the consultant CE Delft, commissioned by Greenpeace, Transport & Environment (T&E), Friends of the Earth Europe and WWF Germany, concludes that the electric vehicle could be an opportunity to reduce CO2 emissions in Europe if its commercial development is accompanied by real energy policy in favour of renewable energy.
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