Taxing Vehicles Based on Their Environmental Impact
The New Zealand Herald reports:
By
Jason Varone
1:15 PM EST on February 20, 2007

The New Zealand Herald reports:
Germany’s government plans to tax cars based on emissions instead of engine size to help tackle climate change, Transport Minister Wolfgang Tiefensee said.
Tiefensee told a news conference early Sunday that German and other European carmakers had to do more to protect the environment, after the head of the UN Environment Programme had chided Europe for complacency over climate change.
“The government will be pursuing that aim and that’s why we’re going to reform the motor vehicle taxes. The size of the engine will no longer be the determining factor but rather the impact on the environment, not only CO2 but other pollutants,” he said.
Photo: Simone Ramella/Flickr
Jason Varone battles the streets everyday during a 9 mile commute on his bicycle from downtown Brooklyn to the Upper East Side. In addition to his efforts on Streetsblog, he is an artist making work related to the environment and technology. Examples of his work can be found at www.varonearts.org.
Read More:
More from Streetsblog USA
How To Fix The Broken Gas Tax
Drivers aren't paying their fair share — and no one else is getting their due. Is it time to rethink our federal road funding mechanisms?
March 31, 2026
Tuesday’s Headlines Peace Out
The congressman at the helm of the House transportation committee is stepping down. Who will step up?
March 31, 2026
Chicago to St. Louis Is the High-Speed Rail Test America Can’t Afford to Fail
A looming deadline could be the end of high speed rail in Illinois — or the beginning of an entire midwest network, a top advocate argues.
March 31, 2026
Trump’s ‘Freedom Means Affordable Cars’ Rings Hollow As Gas Prices Surge
Real freedom is the freedom to choose how you get around — including not driving at all.
March 30, 2026
Monday’s Headlines Pedal Backwards
The Trump administration really does not want to make it easy to ride a bike.
March 30, 2026
Comments Are Temporarily Disabled
Streetsblog is in the process of migrating our commenting system. During this transition, commenting is temporarily unavailable.
Once the migration is complete, you will be able to log back in and will have full access to your comment history. We appreciate your patience and look forward to having you back in the conversation soon.