Archived press release

Learn to Love the Car! Motor Industry Fights Back On Labour Transport Policy

19 August 1998

A leaked confidential document from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) shows the industry preparing a massive £12 million campaign against Labour's transport policy. The leak, to green pressure group Friends of the Earth, will severely embarrass the motor trade, which is aiming to target young people with its campaign, as well as the media,policy groups and opinion formers. Friends of the Earth is to publish thedocument on its website

The internal planning paper calls the Labour Government "no friend of the car". It also describes the "growing currency" given to the environmental lobby's policies on reducing car use, by both "the public and Government". It states that the "ultimate objective of the campaign must be to protect the long-term commercial freedom of the motor industry, and the lifestyle freedom of car users". The SMMT aims to oppose new legislation and the regulation of car use, in favour of self-regulation and voluntary agreements.

The paper calls for a campaign to "lead and control the process of changing opinions. The ultimate audience for this campaign is policy-makers who have the power to legislate against the car: Government, Whitehall and Westminster. It needs to be persuaded that the industry is in some way able to self-regulate ... However, policy- makers operate in a climate of public opinion - this administration more than most". The campaign will therefore target both "informed opinion" and "problem groups"including young people.

The campaign is budgeted to cost £12 million, including national advertising blitz, and to last for five years. Phase 2 and 3 of the campaign are to include a specific programme aimed at schools.

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Despite talk of the industry's willingness to make environmental improvements,the SMMT cannot even bring itself to admit the role of care in damaging the environment in the first place. It describes the view that "the car is a central cause of air pollution and urban congestion" not as an obvious fact, but as a "very common perception". The SMMT wants action on pollution to be aimed not at reducing car ownership or use, but on the one in five existing vehicles which would fail existing emissions tests.

A detailed back-up paper, also leaked to Friends of the Earth, shows that the SMMT now admits that the Government's targets on climate change cannot be achieved without a major reduction in CO2 emissions from cars and new patterns of car ownership. In particular the document admits that"the increase in purchases of H (off-road car) and I (multi-person vehicle)segment vehicles over the past few years has made [vehicle emissions] targets more difficult to achieve since these are amongst the least fuel efficient vehicles". The news will hit 'Galaxy Man' a key group of swing voters identified as swinging to New Labour at the last General Election.

The industry also believes - along with Friends of the Earth - that the introduction of graduated Vehicle Excise Duty at the levels set by the Government in the last Budget "will have very little impact upon the structure of the market unless the upper limit is set at a level significantly higher than the current £150".

Friends of the Earth has dismissed the SMMT's claim that the motor industry is environmentally responsible as "hogwash". It gives as examples of the industry's lack of responsibility:
. Ford's and General Motors' membership of the Global Climate Coalition, which exists to lobby the US Congress against action on climate change
. the Ford advert for the Ka model, which superimposes the car on a map of London's tube system and advertises it as "London's Alternative Transport"
. a recent offer from car manufacturer SEAT for each new car bought before the end of August of the loan of an additional free car for a year.

Commenting on the leaked paper, FOE Policy and Campaigns Director Tony Juniper said:
"This leaked document confirms that the motor industry is not only cynical but immoral. Why should they have commercial freedom when everyone else be denied the right to breathe clean air? Instead of spending money on trying to manufacture public opinion they should be helping to solve Britain's environmental and transport problems by discouraging excessive car use. If they did that they might be popular enough not to need expensive public relations campaigns".

If you're a journalist looking for press information please contact the Friends of the Earth media team on 020 7566 1649.

Published by Friends of the Earth Trust