King Review calls for measures to move low carbon cars from 'shelf to showroom'

Wed 12 March 2008 View all news

The Government responded to the King Review of low carbon cars by calling on the Department for Transport to work closely with the Low Carbon Vehicle Partnership to improve consumer understanding of low carbon vehicle options and encourage 'smarter driving'. Included amongst the proposals, which were published alongside the Budget, are suggestions for strengthening and extending the colour-coded fuel economy label and the inclusion of stronger environmental information in advertising and at showroom level.

The King Review specifically recommends that the Government considers the introduction of colour-coded car tax discs; looks to strengthen advertising regulation to provide clearer information on vehicles; redesigns and makes compulsory the current new car fuel economy label; and considers whether dashboard technology can encourage smarter driving.

The LowCVP has already announced that it has begun to work on the establishment of a protocol for car advertising (see associated link).

Professor King, who was commissioned by the Chancellor to begin her Review in Spring 2007, also urges caution with regard to the introduction of biofuels to UK and European markets. Her report calls for a downward reduction in the EU's targets for introducing biofuels to a 'gentler compliance trajectory'.

The King Review reiterates the view (expressed in the interim report - see news link) that per km CO2 emissions reductions of about 90% are possible for all cars but depend heavily on the de-carbonisation of electricity production. The report says that if this target were achieved by 2050, road transport could deliver an 80% cut in total road transport emissions compared with 2000 when the expected increase in traffic is taken into account.

Part Two of the King Review makes recommendations in three broad areas:

- Ensuring clear and easy-to-understand information on CO2 emissions and fuel economy is available and that strong incentives are in place to support greener choices.

- Encouraging more efficient driving behaviour including the introduction of new dashboard technology to support eco-driving.

- Stimulating the use of lower carbon alternatives to the car, especially public transport, walking and cycling by increasing their availability and attractiveness and improving information.

The King Review made 40 recommendations on how road transport could be decarbonised over the next quarter of a century including:

  • The adoption by the EU of a 100g/km CO2 new car sales-weighted average target for 2020.
  • The setting in place an EU process for regular car CO2 target setting every 7-10 years.
  • The strengthening of demand-side policy measures to enable consumers to make greener choices, including the extension of the colour-coded labels beyond new cars to second-hand cars (and vans, when the required CO2 information is available) and making their use compulsory. Also including comparative information on CO2 emissions on the label and giving prominent information on fuel cost savings.
  • The introduction of colour-coded tax discs using a 'traffic-lights' approach to clearly exhibit vehicles with lower, average and higher emissions. (This proposal was one of the winning entries in the LowCVP's CarsNotCarbon competition, presented at the 2007 annual conference, at which Prof. King was a speaker.)
  • A strengthening of the regulation of vehicle advertising so that CO2 emissions and fuel economy are presented more prominently.
  • A recommendation that public bodies should look to match central government by reducing the average emissions of procured vehicles.
  • That the Department for Transport should develop and reinforce the 'Act on CO2' campaign, using new marketing approaches and placing greater focus on the financial benefits to consumers of 'greener' behaviour.

A number of the recommendations fall into areas where the LowCVP is already active and specific reference to the DfT working with the LowCVP in the area of consumer behaviour was made in the Budget paper. The Budget statement goes on to say “The Government announces today that the Department for Transport will actively explore these ideas in collaboration with external stakeholders through the Low Carbon Vehicle Partnership.”

 The full list of recommendations in the King Review is accessible through the associated link.

 

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