Industry News from Yes Insurance

Only one quarter of Europe's leading car manufacturers are on course to meet the EU emissions target according to a report from a Belgian green transport group issued this week.

The manufacturers who were praised for their efforts were Fiat, Citroen, Renault, Ford and Peugeot. The greenest manufacturer was Fiat, which at 139g/km has already passed the target.

In September, the European Commission warned that it would impose legislation if car manufacturers failed to voluntarily reduce average emissions from new cars to 140g per kilometre by 2008, and 120g by 2012.

Nissan, Suzuki, Mazda, Audi, Volvo, BMW and Volkswagen have only reduced harmful car emissions by half the amount required to meet their commitment, with Nissan predicted to be the worst, averaging 172g/km in 2005.

Aat Peterse, clean cars programme manager at Transport and Environment (T&E), said: "Clearly the target is achievable, but as long as 75 per cent of carmakers go unpunished for their failure, we will never make the necessary progress.

"Individual carmakers must be held responsible and punished if they fail," he insisted.

A spokesman for the UK's Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) admitted that both consumers and car insurance companies were taking the green agenda seriously.

He told BBC News: "Increasingly, green factors are rising up the buying agenda in much the way safety did 10-15 years ago."

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