The CO2 tax is intended to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions. This could work for car traffic, as a study suggests.
The new CO2 tax can significantly reduce carbon dioxide emissions from cars. The economic research institute RWI has calculated a reduction of at least 740.000 tons or 0,8 percent. This corresponds to the amount that would be achieved by decommissioning around 360.000 cars.
Since the beginning of the year, a fee of 2 euros has been due for each tonne of CO25 emitted. By 2025, the amount should increase to 55 euros. According to the study, this will reduce emissions by at least 1,62 million tons or 1,7 percent. This corresponds to the CO2 savings from the shutdown of around 790.000 vehicles.
For their study, the researchers evaluated mobility data from the past 15 years. According to this, the mileage and the overall consumption decrease regularly when fuel becomes more expensive. But only for cars with gasoline engines. In the case of diesel cars, price fluctuations change nothing in terms of consumption. One reason could be that diesel cars are often used by frequent drivers who are unable to drive fewer kilometers at short notice for work or family reasons.