Carbon emissions drop in new cars

Carbon emissions drop in new cars

Emissions of carbon dioxide from new cars sold in the European Union have decreased by almost 12% between 1995 and 2003, according to the latest figures. The statistics, which show a 1.2% drop between 2002 and 2003, highlight the voluntary progress undertaken by the motor industry in recent years.

Despite the largely positive results, it is clear that the reduction in CO2 output has slowed slightly in recent years, and a massive improvement is necessary for the industry to reach its progressive targets.

"Industry is pointing out that the targets remain ambitious but the results so far show that they are taking the commitments very seriously,” said Commission Vice-President and Commissioner for Enterprise and Industry Günter Verheugen.