Harmful to the climate and space-consuming: IEA chief calls for sanctions on SUVs

The Chairman of the International Energy Agency (IEA), Fatih Birol, has called on countries to take measures against the climate-damaging SUV trend. "It is crucial to address the problems they pose in terms of additional energy demand, occupied public space, and increased risk to pedestrians," the Turkish economist told the French newspaper Les Èchos in Paris. He urged that countries should discourage customers from purchasing them and intervene with regulations, such as higher taxes or parking fees.

"When you look at the transportation sector in general, you see two very strong trends: the growing importance of electric vehicles and the increasing prevalence of SUVs," Birol outlined.