Scottish vote in higher parking charges for most polluting cars in Edinburgh

Recently, local residents responded by more than three to one in favour of an initiative designed to encourage the use of more climate friendly vehicles and discourage gas guzzlers.

After several years of effort, We Are Futureproof has helped to push through CO2-based parking charges in Scotland's capital. Permit holders with the most polluting vehicles will see their charges double from the current £160 a year to £320. Drivers of the least polluting vehicles will see their permit prices fall from £80 to just £15.

Despite predictable howls of outrage from the local press, and sour grapes from the Tories, Edinburgh's Lib Dem-SNP led Council will push ahead with these charges, having secured the resounding support of 73% of the public in its 'Park Green' consultation.

Green Councillor Steve Burgess, who joined us for our Edinburgh launch in November 2006, initially proposed the scheme. He said: "I am delighted with the public response to this consultation. This is not about fat-cat charges, it is a charge aimed at reducing pollution levels."

This will be the first CO2-based parking charges scheme in Scotland. Let's hope that other places will now follow Edinburgh's lead.

You can read more here.

Gregory Norminton, for We Are Futureproof in Edinburgh

Richmond extends higher parking charges for most polluting cars

In a welcome move, Richmond has extended it's variable CO2-based parking charges to all car parks and parking spaces in the London borough.

Charges will rise by 25% for vehicles producing more than 180g of CO2 per km, and reduced for the cleanest cars.

BBC News transport correspondent Tom Symonds said the move "is the most radical attempt so far to link parking charges to carbon emissions. "

In a recent RAC poll, drivers overwhelmingly favored higher penalties for the most polluting cars, while they also welcomed more incentives for less polluting cars.

Blake, for the Alliance

New video - Sindy - the 4x4 climate criminal

View our new video of Sindy - A Climate Criminal.

Many people will remember the UK version of the Barbie Doll. In this video, Sindy drives a pink Land Rover. Watch to see how she responds when she is confronted with facts about her 4x4.

Blake, for the Alliance

Fivers for Drivers

Today, in a counter-intuitive stunt, members of the Alliance handed out free money to car drivers at a central London petrol station.  

Our 'Fivers for Drivers' campaign symbolises the money that car drivers would save if Geoff Hoon, the Transport Secretary, supported the EU's original CO2 emissions targets for new cars.

Activists wearing Geoff Hoon masks, holding a briefcase full of (fake) money, and waving wads of fivers enticed car drivers into the petrol station, where they explained how the forthcoming legislation could radically lower the emissions from their cars and the cost of their fuel bills.  Once the drivers signed one of our specially mocked-up 'fiver' postcards, we handed over a crisp new five pound note.  The 'fiver' postcards, featuring Geoff Hoon wearing a tiara, will be sent to the Transport Secretary to encourage him to support tough standards for new cars.

Recent research by the Alliance suggests that if car makers were on track to meet the original target (120g of CO2 per km by 2012) then car drivers in the UK could be saving a total of £382 million a year on fuel costs.  More efficient and economic cars aren't just better for the environment, they also help to make real savings for consumers.

This action was the first outing for We Are Futureproof, a new umbrella organisation who are pushing for innovative, exciting and sustainable answers to the big questions of today, on transport and a range of other issues.  

Blake Ludwig, Managing Director of We Are Futureproof, said: "Today we're giving drivers £5 each and in return asking them to make sure the Government plays its part in keeping the car manufacturers on track towards real progress and not opting for weaker targets."

See this news story on the Telegraph website for more details, and visit We Are Futureproof to download your own fiver to send to Geoff Hoon.

London's Black Cabs May Go Electric

According to our friends at ETA, the iconic London black cab may soon go electric.

Chinese car maker Geely, which owns a large stake of taxi-manufacturer LTI vehicles, is currently developing its own plug-in hybrid and electric cars and is examining the feasibility of converting the diesel-engined cabs to run on battery power.

Apparently, a London TX4 taxi emits a whopping 226g CO2 per km, which is more than twice the amount produced by today’s most efficient diesel cars. As there are 20,000 black cabs in London, that makes a strong case for converting to electric power.