The Alliance joined green campaigners today in urging the European Union to 'push for fuel efficiency' and agree tough targets for reducing the fuel consumption of cars.As European officials come under mounting pressure from car manufacturers to weaken proposed legislation, Friends of the Earth Europe and other environment groups pushed vehicles around European capital cities and called on environment ministers meeting at the informal Environment and Energy Council in Paris to push ahead with targets to reduce the fuel consumption of new cars by 25 per cent by 2012.
The EU is discussing regulations to reduce the CO2 emissions of new cars by 25 per cent to 120g/km by 2012, but car manufacturers are attempting to delay and weaken the targets. Friends of the Earth Europe points to the wealth of evidence that 120g CO2/km by 2012 is easily achievable, and that a majority of EU citizens would be prepared to pay more for a car which consumes less, although more efficient cars do not have to be more expensive.
If all cars met the standard of the most fuel efficient models in their class already on the market, the proposed 2012 target could be reached today.
As part of their campaign for strong EU legislation, and to increase consumer demand for fuel efficient cars, we have joined environmental groups across Europe and have launched a fictional brand, 'Mundo cars'. We intend to use 'Mundo cars' to offer an alternative vision of cars.
