Cleaning up the legacy of the Dieselgate scandal

The document argues that EU and UK governments have failed to protect public health by not holding auto manufacturers accountable for illegal defeat devices. It proposes three main pillars of action: identifying and correcting the use of these devices through manufacturer-funded retrofits, establishing a 'Dieselgate Clean Up Fund' paid for by industry to accelerate the transition to zero-emission vehicles, and adopting more robust clean air laws and emissions standards, including an ambitious Euro 7 standard and a phase-out of new petrol and diesel vehicles by 2030 for cars and vans.

• An analysis by the ICCT suggests that over 19 million cars and vans likely containing illegal defeat devices remain in use across the EU and the UK.
• The document contrasts the EU and UK response with the US, where federal authorities required Volkswagen to provide emissions fixes or buy-backs, pay nearly US$3 billion to reduce road transport pollution, and invest US$2 billion in Zero Exhaust Emission Vehicles (ZEEVs) and charging infrastructure for approximately 590,000 vehicles.
• ClientEarth and partners (France Nature Environnement, CLCV, and Deutsche Umwelthilfe) have submitted legal complaints to the governments of France, Germany, and the UK to trigger corrective action.
• The brief proposes a 'Dieselgate Clean Up Fund' funded by implicated manufacturers to cover the costs of environmental and health harm and to fund ZEEV access for low-income individuals, public transport expansion, and area-based pollution reduction schemes.
• To prevent future abuse, the document recommends increasing transparency in vehicle type approval and prohibiting the export of affected vehicles unless they are effectively fixed.
• The brief calls for specific legislative updates: the EU should revise the Ambient Air Quality Directive to align with WHO recommendations, and the UK should move its PM2.5 target deadline from 2040 to 2030.
• The document advocates for a legislated phase-out of new petrol and diesel vehicle sales by 2030 for cars and vans, and by 2040 for heavy duty vehicles.

APA

ClientEarth (2023). Cleaning up the legacy of the Dieselgate scandal. https://www.clientearth.org/media/slahjcae/cleaning-up-the-legacy-of-the-dieselgate-scandal-policy-proposals-for-the-eu-and-the-uk.pdf

Chicago

ClientEarth. Cleaning up the legacy of the Dieselgate scandal. 2023. https://www.clientearth.org/media/slahjcae/cleaning-up-the-legacy-of-the-dieselgate-scandal-policy-proposals-for-the-eu-and-the-uk.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=ClientEarth |title=Cleaning up the legacy of the Dieselgate scandal |date=March 2023 |url=https://www.clientearth.org/media/slahjcae/cleaning-up-the-legacy-of-the-dieselgate-scandal-policy-proposals-for-the-eu-and-the-uk.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{clientearth2023cleaning, author = {{ClientEarth}}, title = {{Cleaning up the legacy of the Dieselgate scandal}}, institution = {ClientEarth}, year = {2023}, month = mar, url = {https://www.clientearth.org/media/slahjcae/cleaning-up-the-legacy-of-the-dieselgate-scandal-policy-proposals-for-the-eu-and-the-uk.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }