Motorists were today urged to take action to cut down on CO2 emissions from cars. Transport Minister Gillian Merron highlighted the vital role that each of us can play in reducing emissions as she launched the first phase of the Government's new 'Act on CO2' climate change campaign.
The campaign starts by encouraging motorists to 'Drive Smarter', in a way that improves fuel consumption and therefore reduces carbon emissions. The campaign's website gives motorists 'top tips' on how to 'Drive Smarter' and offers the chance to put the tips into action in a new online game.
If all drivers in London followed the Smarter Driving tips, CO2 emissions from cars could be reduced by 8% - or around 510,000 tonnes of CO2 a year, saving motorists more than £190million a year in fuel costs.
The new website will also host a 'Savings Calculator' to help individuals calculate how much money they could save personally if they tried Smarter Driving. This is done by entering the annual mileage, price of a litre of fuel and the miles per gallon the motorist averages in their car.
Gillian Merron said: "Climate change will affect us all, but we can all do our bit to help tackle it. Little changes can make a big difference - and this campaign is all about giving drivers practical tips to help them make that real difference. Put quite simply, the way we drive can help to reduce our impact on the environment and by using less fuel, motorists can save money too."
Environment Secretary David Miliband said: "I welcome this campaign to encourage people to cut their CO2 emissions from cars. The new cross-government 'Act on CO2' brand will inspire people to reduce their CO2 emissions, and we will be rolling the campaign out in the spring to enable individuals to think about changing their behaviours to adopt a lower carbon lifestyle and help tackle climate change."
Driving Standards Agency Chief Driving Examiner Trevor Wedge said: "When it comes to acting on CO2 emissions, it's not just the car we buy, it's how we drive it that matters. People who've recently learned to drive may already be familiar with some of these Smarter Driving techniques, but for the first time, this campaign will spread the message to the wider motoring public. That means every motorist will know they have the power to make a difference."
The top tips for 'Driving Smarter' are: * Pump up to cut down on CO2 - under-inflated tyres mean more CO2 so make sure your tyres are pumped up correctly
* Don't over rev the engine - change up a gear a little earlier when you can
* Less clutter in your car means less CO2 - the less weight you carry in your car, the easier it is for your engine and the less fuel it uses
You can find more tips are available on the website
www.dft.gov.uk/ActOnCO2.
The Transport Direct website, which provides online journey planning information to travellers, has also been updated to give fuel consumption and carbon emissions figures for individual car journeys, according to engine size.
Later this year, the campaign will also feature a new car ranking system which will give information to consumers on the lowest carbon cars within the category and price range of their choice. The ranking is currently in development.
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