Emissions News

Carmakers that fail to meet emissions targets by 2012 will face fines, the European Commission has proposed.

The US has insisted on removing firm emissions targets from draft guidelines negotiating a successor to the 1997 Kyoto Protocol, which is due to expire in 2012.

The imposition of stringent emissions targets and soaring tax hikes for large cars could kill off brands such as Jaguar and Land Rover, Jim O'Donnell, managing director of BMW UK, has warned.

Mini is the only carmaker to have significantly slashed its carbon emissions in the UK this year.

The motor industry could be forgiven for feeling a little bruised right now having been booted around the European Parliament in Brussels as a political football for much of last week.

Carmakers may be forced to pay financial penalties should their vehicles exceed CO2 reduction targets if the vote in the European parliament goes against them later today.

A new rating system comparing the environmental effects of different car models beyond CO2 emissions has been developed.

The vast majority of drivers would consider switching to greener cars if the government offered them incentives to do so.

The Government has released £20m of new funding that will go towards UK research to develop new low carbon vehicles that could be on the road within five to seven years.

Buyers are getting more concerned about the environmental friendliness of second hand models, but the tax-efficiency of ‘green' vehicles is the biggest purchasing driver, according to a survey by the HPI car checking service.