Volvo Car UK backs call for an air quality public awareness campaign
Volvo Car UK has pledged its support to the House of Commons Environmental Audit Select Committee’s call on Monday for a Government public awareness campaign to educate the public about improving air quality, and ultimately their health.
Volvo launched its Emissions Equality campaign in 2010, dedicated to educating motorists about other concerns regarding car emissions such as NOx, Hydrocarbons and Particulates rather than just CO2 in isolation. Volvo believes that the Vehicle Certification Agency should automatically make detailed and accurate emissions data widely available on every car sold in the UK; information that could then be used by customers to make informed decisions on their choice of car purchase.
"It sounds obvious but unless you can see something like poor air quality, you are less likely to take notice and ultimately take action against avoiding it. This is where a public awareness campaign comes in," said Duncan Forrester, Head of Public Affairs of Volvo Car UK.
"Taking measures to reduce a person's exposure to poor air quality is one approach, while making it easier for all motorists to make a more holistic decision on the total emissions generated by their next new or used car should ultimately help reduce automotive related emissions," he added.
Volvo already offers three cars - the C30, S40 and V50 with emissions at less than 100g/km, while its new V60 Plug-in Hybrid, which is due for launch in 2012, will generate just 49g/km of emissions, the lowest CO2 output of any internal combustion-engined production car currently for sale in the UK.