The international motor vehicle manufacturers support the Paris climate protection targets. Further global warming would entail considerable risks for people and the environment. These consequences of climate change would also be strongly felt in Germany. For this reason, the international community agreed in 2015 with the Paris Climate Agreement to limit global warming to a maximum of 2°C. This is the maximum temperature at which global warming can occur. This requires halving global CO2 emissions as part of internationally coordinated efforts. The fact is that Germany must play a major role in climate protection, even if only around two and a half percent of global CO2 emissions are caused here. The transport sector accounts for about 22 percent of all greenhouse gas emissions in Germany.

The international automotive industry will make a significant contribution to reducing CO2 emissions from transport. Depending on their individual corporate strategy, they are aiming for climate-neutral mobility by the middle of the century at the latest. They have already taken the lead and have continuously reduced the CO2 emissions of new passenger cars in Germany. In addition, it was above all the international brands that brought vehicles with alternative drivetrains onto the market at an early stage.

Climate protection only works if consumers go along and accept low-emission vehicles and mobility solutions. Vehicles with alternative drivetrains are not yet competitive with conventional vehicles in every respect. This makes it all the more important to create an ecosystem in which the purchase and operation of vehicles with alternative powertrains becomes particularly attractive. From a complete infrastructure to fiscal and financial incentives – numerous concrete individual measures must be seamlessly interlinked. The VDIK has already outlined key measures in a position paper on alternative drive systems.