Thought it was the Chancellor who was leading the push for lower emissions? The motor industry recognises that cleaner cars are key to reducing the world’s carbon dioxide emissions, and has been working hard to address this issue. That’s the message today from Christopher Macgowan, SMMT chief executive:
‘There are 850,000 people working in the UK motor industry and we are all concerned about the impact our industry has on the environment. We recognise that we are part of the problem and also the solution. This is why we have invested so heavily in research and development of new technologies that have helped us to create cleaner vehicles.’
Car parc up 25 per cent, carbon emissions flat
The total amount of carbon emitted by cars in the UK in 2003 was the same as in 1993, despite a 25 per cent increase in the number of cars on the road. In 1993, there were 24 million cars on the road in the UK 1 emitting 19.8 million tonnes of carbon. In 2003 the number of cars had grown to 30 million, yet the total amount of carbon was the same2.
More new cars in lower VED bands
In 1997, 77 per cent of new cars would have been in the top three vehicle excise duty bands: vehicles emitting more than 166 g/km of CO2. In just eight years, that figure has nearly halved to 41 per cent. In the lowest three bands, there are now four and a half times more new cars: 34.1 per cent, up from 7.8 per cent in 1997.
Notes to editors:
1. Motor Industry of Great Britain 2005, SMMT
2. DfT Transport Statistics Great Britain 2005: Carbon dioxide emissions in the United Kingdom: 1993-2003
