CAFE (Corporate average fuel efficiency)
Why in news?
- The government is looking to tighten the corporate average fuel economy (CAFE) norms, in a bid to push automakers to incrementally increase production of electric vehicles by 2-3% every year.
What are the cafe norms?
- CAFE is the average fuel efficiency of all vehicles produced by a manufacturer in a given period, taking into consideration the sales volume of each model.
- It is achieved by lowering carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions.
- Thus, it serves the twin purposes of reducing dependence on oil for fuel and controlling pollution.
- The norms are applicable for petrol, diesel, and LPG and CNG passenger vehicles.
- CAFE regulations in India came into force from April 1, 2017.
Significance:
- A strict CAFE target will provide incentives to auto makers to produce and sell more EVs, to improve their average fuel efficiency.
- By tightening the norms, auto makers will have to indirectly invest in EVs, rather than make production of EVs mandatory.
- The government has reduced its initial target of getting aggregators to make 40% of their fleet electric by 2026.
- Now aggregators are asked to procure EVs as part of their new fleet additions, and this could be in 2% increments (annually).
- While CAFE regulations focus on reducing CO2 emissions, BS VI focuses on other harmful exhausts from vehicles.
World environment day:
- World Environment Day (WED) was established by the UN General Assembly in 1972 on the first day of the Stockholm Conference on the Human Environment.
- In 1974 the first WED was held with the theme “Only One Earth”.
- Since then, World Environment Day takes place every year on 5 June.
- Since then it is observed on 5th June annually with a country as a host.
- The world environment 2019 was observed with the theme “Air pollution” and is being hosted by China.
- India hosted World Environment Day 2018 with the theme ‘Plastic Pollution’.
- Colombia will host World Environment Day 2020 in partnership with Germany and that it will focus on biodiversity.
