Biggest Fall in CO2 Emissions Since Records Began

According to new figures from the The SMMT (Socity of Motor Manufacturers and Traders), carbon dioxide emissions in the UK have been slashed thanks to the scrappage scheme and recession.  A report by The SMMT’s has revealed that average CO2 levels for 2009 were down 5.4% to 149g/km, compared with figures for the previous year and this is the biggest fall since records began.

The drop is three times as fast as the average annual rate recorded since the study was launched in 1997.  This is partly caused by motorists turning to more economical cars and the scrappage scheme which has cut the number of older and much less efficient cars that are on the road.  Although the scrappage incentive doesn’t impose a CO2 cap, the average emissions of cars bought through the scheme so far is 133.3g/km – 26.8% less than the average scrapped car.

Developing a long-term and consistent approach to environmental incentives and vehicle taxation will be important in order to maintain the current rate of improvement.  While scrappage incentives have made a positive contribition to fleet renewal in 2009 there is also still a risk that over the next few years motorists might be steered away from investing in the latest technology.

If the UK can continue with the current rate of reduction of emissions, we will hit 2015 average new car emissions target of 120g/km set by the EU which comes into force in 2015.

The average new car emissions CO2 has fallen from 174.2g/km in 2002 to 149.5g/km in 2009 which is a drop of 5.4%.