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North East to help make Britain the 'green car capital of Europe'
20 July 2009
Commenting on Lord Mandelson's visit today to the Nissan UK headquarters in County Durham to announce that the region will become a low carbon economic area as part of a drive to make Britain the 'green car capital of Europe',
Friends of the Earth's Senior Transport Campaigner Tony Bosworth said:
"It's good to see the Government starting to put words into action over greening the UK car industry. Making the North East a hub for the manufacture of electric cars will create jobs and boost the local economy.
"But electric cars are only as clean as the energy used to power them - and the UK's renewable energy industry is still underfunded, underdeveloped, and lagging way behind the rest of Europe.
"Technology alone will not deliver the emissions cuts urgently needed from transport. To tackle climate change, congestion and air pollution we need to change the way people travel - this means investing in public transport to provide greener alternatives to driving cars.
"The Government must prioritise public transport, cycling and walking when decisions on regional transport funding are announced this week."
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Published by Friends of the Earth Trust
Last modified: Jul 2009
