Skip to Content
Streetsblog USA home
Streetsblog USA home
Log In

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

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog USA

Why Is the Governor of New York Trying to Make It Easier to Deny Traffic Violence Victims Insurance Payouts?

The governor is still fighting to make it cheaper to drive with a reform that would reduce compensation to some crash victims.

February 23, 2026

Study: Most Of America’s Paint-Only Bike Paths Are On Our Deadliest Roads

Even worse, most Americans see these terrible lanes and think, "I'd be crazy to ride a bike" — and the cycle continues.

February 23, 2026

Monday’s Headlines Take a Walk on the Not-So-Wild Side

Research increasingly shows that walkability, active streets and greenspace in cities contribute to mental well-being.

February 23, 2026

Friday’s Headlines Are Over ICE

Traffic safety and transportation funding continue to get tangled up in immigration enforcement under Trump.

February 20, 2026

Talking Headways Podcast: Women Changing Cities

Chris and Melissa Bruntlett on their new book and the mobility of care work and the unpaid labor that undergirds the economy.

February 19, 2026
See all posts