Last month saw the EEA report that the average van sold in the EU in 2014 emitted 169.2g/km. It has prompted calls for the van sector to face vastly more ambitious targets with T&E saying 100g/km should be set for 2025.

EU legislation says average CO2 emissions from new vans must be no more than 175g per km by 2017, a target that has already been well exceeded as the latest preliminary EEA data has the average at 169.2g. Companies are also on track to meet the 147g/km 2020 target. Average emissions from new vans in Portugal and Malta are already below this level.

T&E clean vehicles manager Greg Archer said: “T&E warned that weak vans targets were irrelevant and could easily be achieved by manufacturers. We have been proved right. The EU needs to set a 2025 target of 100g to make vans cut emissions as the same rate as cars.”

T&E added that vans are one of the fastest growing sources of CO2 emitted from transport in Europe – they increased by 26% between 1995 and 2010 and now account for 8% of the EU’s road transport emissions. A 2012 study by TNO, an environmental consultancy, showed a 2020 target for vans, equivalent to the cars 95g target, would have to be 118g/km.