Centre advocates phase out end-of-life vehicles
Vehicles
By Sumaila Ogbaje
Abuja, July 23, 2018 (NAN) The Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), New Delhi (India)-based think tank in a new global study, has advocated phasing out of end-of-life vehicles in Africa and South Asia.
A statement by Priyanka Chandola, Programme Manager, Clean Air and Sustainable Mobility, CSE, in Abuja on Monday, said the call was aimed at combating dumping of used vehicles in developing countries.
Chandola said that CSE had lifted the lid on the dark underbelly of a large-scale global trade in old and used vehicles from high income to low and middle income countries of Africa and South Asia.
Anumita Roychowdhury, CSE Executive Director, Research and Advocacy, said that centre had identified the trend as causing massive environmental dumping and toxic pollution.
According to her, every year, out of the staggering global vehicle stock of two billion, more than 40 million vehicles approach end-of-life – become old and decrepit.
“But instead of being scrapped within domestic markets, a large number of these are sold in low and middle income countries that do not have the capacity to manage their polluting emissions.
“Cheaper price, weak environmental regulations in poorer economies, lure of a rich variety of vehicle models and stronger emissions regulations in high income exporting countries are inciting this unregulated global trade in clunkers.
“In high income exporting countries it is more lucrative and cost-effective to export used vehicles than scrap them.
“If this continues unchecked, without the exporting countries sharing the responsibility of addressing this problem, the poorer countries will not be able to meet their clean air and climate mitigation goals,” she warned.
Roychowdhury said that CSE researchers pointed out that the ‘State of Global Air, 2018’ report had shown that North Africa had the highest concentration of population-weighted annual average articulate matter.
She added that Nigeria was in the lead while many cities in Africa were violating the World Health Organisation (WHO) air quality guidelines by several times.
According to her, South Asian cities are no better as they have some of the worst air pollution episodes.
“The burden of diseases triggered by air pollution like lung diseases, cancers, respiratory diseases, heart ailments and strokes are increasing rapidly.
“Vehicles are responsible for this exposure to toxic pollution.
“The global community which has, time and again, expressed its deep concern about the deteriorating air quality in the southern world, cannot look away from this problem of dumping anymore,” she added.
The CSE report recommended that vehicle-importing countries should have harmonise stringent age caps, minimum Euro-IV emissions and fuel standards, effective import tax measures and emission-based import criteria.
It added that the countries in the region should also implement effective vehicle inspection, road worthiness and safety tests as well as implement end-of-life regulations and infrastructure for scrappage.
“Put in place transparent consumer information systems on imported vehicles to help consumers choose safe and low-emitting vehicles.
“Leverage import policy to zero emissions, promote electric mobility and leapfrog.
“Build public and consumer awareness about highly toxic and health damaging emissions from old and polluting vehicles – cheap cars come at very high health costs.
“Even developing countries that produce vehicles (like India) and use them more intensely and longer need to adopt end-of-life regulations to scrap and recover precious material.
“In India, about 20 million vehicles have accumulated by 2015 that require scrapping,’’ CSE recommended. (NAN)
OYS/OFN/AFA
Edited by Felix Nwadioha/Felix Ajide