Greenpeace calls for tougher fuel efficiency standards

Greenpeace is calling on the European Union to implement tougher fuel efficiency regulations.

If the plan is adopted, car companies would have to make vehicles go a lot further on less gas.  

Keith Stewart with Greenpeace says, it would eliminate the need for Europe to import oil from dangerous sources including the Alberta oilsands.

"Gas guzzlers are fueling the race for dirtier and dangerous oil from deep sea reserves, the oilsands, the arctic and other unconventional sources," says Stewart."  "If Canada matched the proposed European standard, passenger vehicles built in 2020 would use only a third of the gas that the average vehicle on Canadian roads today uses.  That would mean consumers could keep more money in their pockets and tarsands oil could stay in the ground."

Even though Ottawa has set new limits for greenhouse gas emissions, Greenpeace says they don't go far enough and are not equal with the existing initiatives in Europe.

He adds the only way to guarantee against oil disasters is to eliminate the need for high risk extractions.