PaGermany is set to impose speed limits on sedans and small commercial vehicles. A new study has found that this alone could prevent the environment from absorbing 6.7 million tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2). Germany is considering imposing this speed limit on highways. A 120 km/h speed limit on Germany’s highways would significantly reduce the country’s total CO2 emissions from passenger cars and light commercial vehicles, data from the Federal Environment Agency (UBA) revealed.
There are currently no speed limits on Germany’s highways. Therefore, such regulation is a very important issue in the country. The German government is considering such a move as part of the country’s goal of becoming carbon neutral by 2045. The transport sector is considered the slowest in terms of curbing CO2 emissions. To meet the 2022 greenhouse reduction target, emissions from the transport sector must not exceed 138.7 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent, Reuters reports.
In 2021, the transport sector in Germany will emit around 148 million tonnes of CO2 and miss the target of around three million tonnes. The German Transport Ministry claims that it could reduce emissions by around 13 million tonnes in the coming years, making up for missing the 2021 target.
Generally, the faster a vehicle is driven, the more fuel it burns. This releases more carbon dioxide and other polluting gases into the environment. The lower the speed of the vehicle, the lower the pollution rate.