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During September 2022, new passenger car registrations in the European Union rose by 9.6%, marking the second consecutive month of growth this year according to the latest data from ACEA*.
This is really a mathematical quirk since the “increase” came from a low base of comparison from 2021, when the semiconductor shortage hindered vehicle production. It doesn’t reflect underlying demand or consumer sentiment. The four largest EU markets, Germany and Spain recorded double-digit gains (+14.1% and +12.7% respectively), while France (+5.5%) and Italy (+5.4%) showed modest rates of growth. For a more nuanced look see LMC Automotive. (Autoinformed.com on: Western Europe Car Sales Plunge in September) Continue reading
EPA Hydrofluorocarbon Rule Attacks Global Warming
The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today announced a proposed rule to implement the next step of the nation’s HFC* (hydrofluorocarbons) phase-down to a 40% reduction below historic levels starting in 2024. HFCs are a class of powerful greenhouse gases regularly used in refrigeration and air conditioning, aerosols, and foam products. Their negative climate impact can be hundreds to thousands of times stronger than the same amount of carbon dioxide.
The proposal follows the Senate’s bipartisan ratification of the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol, a global agreement to phase down HFCs and avoid up to 0.5-degrees Centigrade of global warming by the end of this century. It’s the latest step in assuring US Global Leadership on fighting Global Warming and Extreme Climate Change, which are people, jobs and planet killing. The Senate voted 69-27. Forty-eight Democrats and 21 Republicans voted aye. Four members abstained. The opposition largely came from the Republican party of Nope. The United States was the 137th country to ratify the amendment. Continue reading →