The European Commission issued a legislative proposal with seven measures for reducing waste on European beaches. The main aim of the proposal is to reduce the input of the most frequent plastic waste categories (top litter items). These are mainly single-use products such as food containers, cups, plastic bottles and cigarette butts, but also balloon sticks.
A distance-based toll makes it possible to set differentiated charges for infrastructure and other costs incurred by society as a result of road traffic. Frequent drivers pay more than occasional drivers, resulting in positive ecological and traffic steering effects. The time-based vignette is not a meaningful solution, since it amounts to a flat rate charge for frequent road users.
Buses are eco-friendly means of transport, nevertheless their climate performance can be increased still further. Today’s mobile air conditioning systems in buses still use the refrigerant tetrafluoroethane (R134a), a greenhouse gas with a 1,430 times higher impact to the climate than carbon dioxide. There is a climate friendly alternative: Some city buses already use CO2 air conditioning systems.
