Archived press release

New rules needed on gas guzzlers

25 May 2004

New Government rules must be imposed on the motor industry to make cars more fuel efficient, Friends of the Earth said today. These measures are needed to help tackle climate change, and would save motorists money on petrol too. Later this week the Motor Show is being held in Birmingham where the latest gas-guzzlers will be promoted [2]. The call comes as politicians across the globe are calling for an increase in oil production to reduce petrol prices at the pump.

Last month Tony Blair said "climate change is the most important environmental issue facing the world today" [3] and the Government's chief scientific advisor described it as a greater threat to the world than international terrorism [4]. Friends of the Earth is calling on the Government to take action on pollution from transport, which is responsible for 20 per cent of UK greenhouse gas emissions, with releases 4.5 per cent above 1990 levels. The UK Government has a target to cut climate change gases by 20 per cent by 2010 from 1990 levels. A table showing the most, and least, fuel efficient cars is available [5]. Measures needed include:

• Set tough legal targets for fuel efficiency for new cars. The motor industry is behind schedule on (and highly unlikely to meet) a voluntary target to ensure that by 2008/9 new cars will on average release only 140 grams of carbon dioxide per kilometre [5]. According to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders [SMMT], new cars sold in the UK last year emitted an average of 172.8 grams of carbon dioxide per kilometre. Friends of the Earth is calling for the current voluntary target to be made legally binding and a tougher longer-term target to be set of at least 120g/km by 2012.

• Introduce higher road tax (Vehicle Excise Duty) on the least fuel-efficient vehicles. Currently 60 per cent of the vehicles on sale in the UK are in the top £165 road tax band. Introducing more VED bands, at £50 intervals, up to £500 a year for the least fuel efficient cars would prompt a third of car buyers to buy a less gas-guzzling vehicle according to Government research.

• Encourage the use of bio-fuels. These are produced from renewable crops and provide substitutes to conventional petrol and diesel. The Government should support an amendment to the Energy Bill currently before Parliament obliging fuel retailers to sell bio-fuels at the pumps.

• Increase investment in alternatives to the car. Friends of the Earth is part of The Way to Go Coalition [7] is calling on the Government to give people real alternatives to car use such as improved public transport and safer streets for cycling and walking. The review of the Government's 10 year transport plan, due in July, is an ideal opportunity to do this.

Friends of the Earth's Climate Campaigner Bryony Worthington said:

"The motor industry continues to promote gas-guzzling cars to the public despite the threat of global warming and concerns about the price of petrol. Tony Blair says that climate change is the most important issue facing the global community. It's time he took action to make the motor industry more responsible. The Government should set tough legal standards for fuel efficiency, which will benefit the consumer as well as the environment. And they must encourage the use of bio-fuels and support alternatives to the car. If the Government fails to take decisive action its promise to tackle climate change will simply be hot air."

Notes

[1] New rules are likely to be needed to be agreed at a European Union Level.

[2] cars being promoted at the motor show include:

• Maserati's Quattroporte luxury sports saloon (EC Urban fuel consumption 10.1 mpg, CO2 emissions 440g/km) see:
  www.maserati.com/

• Porsche 911 Turbo S Coupe: Fuel consumption: Combined 21.2mpg. Urban: 14.4mpg
  www.compucars.co.uk/ ¬
  investigate-news-detail.asp?w=1&page=1&article=506

[3 The Prime Minister spoke at the launch of the Climate Group on 27 April. See: www.theclimategroup.org/release01.html

[4]. Sir David King, writing in Nature magazine, January 2004.

[5] The top 20 most polluting cars and 20 least polluting cars

[6] The amount of carbon dioxide released in the UK rose by 1.5 per cent increase last year. The Government's climate change strategy had expected improved fuel efficiency to reduce emissions from cars by 4mtC (million tonnes of carbon) by 2010 - 22% of the total savings across the economy. However, in March, Transport Minister David Jamieson told a Parliamentary inquiry that he now expects improved efficiency to deliver just 2.6mtC by 2010.

Carbon dioxide emissions from newly registered cars in the UK have fallen during 2003 but at the slowest rate for five years. According to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, new cars sold in the UK last year emitted an average of 172.8 grams of CO2 per kilometre. This only represents a 9% improvement since 1997. Emissions fell by just 1.2% from 2002, the smallest reduction for five years.

Motor manufacturers have signed up to voluntary agreements to reduce average emissions from new cars sold across the EU to 140g/km by 2008/09. The target was meant to be met by technical improvements and market shifts linked to them, rather than from fiscal incentives or wider shifts to less carbon-intensive fuels such as diesel. However, much of the reported improvement in UK car CO2 emissions stems from diesel's increased market share. Diesel now accounts for 27% of the market, and the SMMT expects this to rise to 40% by 2008. Achieving the 140g/km target in the UK would require a reduction of 6g/km over each of the next five years which is three times faster than the improvement since 1995. At the current rate of improvement, average emissions will still be above 160g/km by 2008/9.

[7] Way to Go website: www.waytogo.org.uk

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Published by Friends of the Earth Trust