Germany puts off transport emissions decision until 2023

BERLIN (AP) — Officials say Germany is postponing politically sensitive decisions on reducing greenhouse gas emissions from the transport sector until 2023 amid strong opposition from a governing party to a universal speed limit. The postponement was announced Monday. The libertarian Free Democratic Party, which controls the Transport Ministry, has long blocked the introduction of mandatory speed limits like those in most of Germany’s neighbors. Experts say that limiting speeds on highways to 120 kilometers per hour (74.5 mph) would save 2.6 million metric tons of carbon dioxide a year. A limit of 100 kmh (62 mph) would more than double the savings, according to Germany’s Environment Agency.