The motor industry has taken giant strides over the past 20 years to clean up its act in terms of the environment. It is now getting fed up with ever more green taxes being imposed on it, and its customers, while other industries get off relatively lightly.
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Christopher MacGowan, chief executive of the UK’s Society of Motor Manufacturers And Traders, said: “I will not tolerate politicians who point the finger at the motor industry saying that we are the problem and should be legislated to hell and back.”
He added: “The industry recognises that it is part of the environmental problem and has been addressing it. There are other industries with a much worse record.”
MacGowan warned that there is a real danger that the motor industry could be damaged.
“One of the unintended consequences of over legislation could be the loss of a major car maker and nobody wants to see that. What we need is a carefully managed environmental strategy.”
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By GlobalDataJust hours before the government’s pre-budget report due on Tuesday afternoon, the SMMT demonstrated the advances the industry has made in terms of the environment with a ‘Life on Mars’ event at its central London headquarters.
Car manufactures took along models past and present to illustrate that:
A modern VW Golf 1.9 emits 78% fewer diesel particulates that its 20-year-old equivalent.
It would take 76 modern Ford Fiestas to emit the same amount of nitrogen oxide as just one made in 1976.
The Mini Cooper has improved fuel consumption by 24% and lowered carbon dioxide emissions by more than one fifth in a generation.
The SMMT has been gathering figures for its annual ‘cradle-to-the-grave’ sustainability report for the past eight years. This looks at a car’s manufacture, lifetime usage and how it is disposed of or re-cycled.
MacGowan said: “Another example, in manufacturing terms, is that vehicle manufacturers now use half as much water during the assembly of a car than they did 20 years ago.
“The motor industry is looking to improve further but having political parties trying to outdo each other on green taxes is very unhelpful.”
