environment magazine

2011 CO2 DATA RELEASED: THE 2012 CO2 TARGET IS STILL OUT OF REACH.

…but car companies will escape fines, nonetheless

As we go into 2012, the year when the 130 g/km limit on CO2 comes into force, only nine manufacturers have got below that figure, yet almost no manufacturer is worried.
Many will miss the target this year, but the range of loopholes means that fines are unlikely

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1. Total Market

2. Leading Manufacturers

There are now nine (out of 31) major manufacturers* which are below the overall target figure of 130 g/km of CO₂:

Source: SMMT/Spyder Redspy

3. When is a target not a target?

There are three loopholes that mean almost no-one is actually in danger of paying a fine:

In 2012, only the lowest polluting 65% of each manufacturer’s range have to meet the target. Full compliance is not due until 2015. The EU is fond of quoting “130g/km of CO2 by 2012”, but this is simply not the case.

Car manufacturers who make heavy cars have a higher target. Take the example of Mercedes: with an average weight of 1661 KG, its current target is 143 g/km of CO2, not 130 g/km of CO2.

Manufacturers who sell less than 300,000 cars in the EU do not have to meet the target. So, a company that sells fewer than that can continue producing an average of, say 160 g/km of CO2, without fear. The only restriction for these companies is that their CO2 has to be 25% lower than it was in 2007 – but that is largely academic. Market forces mean that any mainstream manufacturer that was producing cars with over 200 g/km of CO2 in 2007 has had to cut by more than 25% anyway.

For a full explanation of all the data and a list of all manufacturers’ figures, see http://www.cleangreencars.co.uk/co2

* defined as manufacturers whose range includes four seat models, not just two seat city cars.

The aim of www.cleangreencars.co.uk is simple: to provide clear, easily understood advice about choosing and using cars in a more environmentally considerate way. Our goal is to advise which cars are the best of their type, whether that is a small hatchback or something that can carry seven people. Its founders are Richard Bremner, one of Britain’s leading motoring journalists, and Jay Nagley, a prominent industry analyst.