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The EU, Japan and the US annually export millions of old, dangerous and high-emission cars to developing countries – cars that would not have been allowed on the roads of the countries themselves, according to a new report from the United Nations Program. United for the Environment, Unep.
Used cars for sale in Nairobi, Kenya. Stock Photography.
“Developed countries must stop exporting vehicles that do not meet climate and safety requirements and are no longer considered safe in their countries,” Inger Andersen, director of Unep, said in a press release.
Between 2015 and 2018, 14 million used light vehicles were exported worldwide from the EU, Japan and the United States, according to Unep.
The EU accounts for 54 percent of exports, followed by 27 percent by Japan and 18 percent by the United States. About 80 percent of them ended up in low-income countries, of which more than half in Africa.
Many of the cars would not be allowed on the roads of the countries from which they were sold.
The world’s rapidly growing vehicle fleet contributes greatly to air pollution and climate change. The transport sector accounts for nearly a quarter of global energy-related carbon dioxide emissions, according to the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).
“Cleaning up the world’s vehicle fleet is a priority in achieving local and global climate and air quality goals,” says Inger Andersen.
In the report 146 countries have been analyzed and it is considered that two thirds of them have a “weak” or “very weak” regulation of the import of used cars. Few exporting countries have regulations that limit the sale of used cars.
In countries where import regulations have been introduced, mainly in the form of age restrictions and emission standards, high-quality used cars have been made available, including hybrid and electric cars, the report shows. Morocco is an example of this, where regulations have led to only relatively modern and clean used cars being imported into the country.
A recent survey of used cars exported from the Netherlands showed that most of them were between the ages of 16 and 20 and did not meet EU emissions standards.
Poor quality used cars also cause more traffic accidents. According to the report, many of the countries with “weak” or “very weak” regulation of used car imports have very high traffic mortality. Consequently, fewer accidents and safer cars are observed in importing countries with more stringent regulation.
There is now a demand for a harmonized global and regional regulatory framework to end the trade in substandard used vehicles. Exporting and importing countries have a shared responsibility to counteract negative development, writes Unep.
“The lack of effective rules and regulations leads to the disposal of old, dangerous and high-emission vehicles,” says Inger Andersen.
