Geneva’s car show is anything but green
Despite car industry promises to reduce their impact on the climate, Greenpeace can reveal that the average carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions of cars displayed at the Geneva Car Show, which ends Sunday, is 201 grams per km, which comes in stark contradiction with the industry promises to reduce levels from their current average of 160g/km.
„Despite the green glitz the industry remains a principle engine of climate destruction, with manufactures failing to put climate responsibility ahead of excessive performance,” said Agnes de Rooij, Greenpeace International Car Campaigner. „Over a decade of broken promises to make emissions reductions can lead to only one conclusion, the industry must be forced to make an emissions u-turn through regulation.”
Even after the presence of sports car specialists like Ferrari is discounted the performance of mass manufacturers remained poor. BMW may have lined the walls of their stand with fuel efficient diesel models, but the presence of the M3 and M6 brought their final CO2 emissions average to 187 grams per km, higher than the average BMW sold in 2006.
Renault, which is normally associated with low emissions came in at 186 grams, thanks to the launch of their new Koleos model and the inclusion of several high performance Meganes on their stand. Perhaps, the biggest shock came from Volkswagen, whose Passat Coupes and Tiguans propelled their average emissions to 196g despite the eco-friendly blue-motion models.
Greenpeace is calling on the EU to impose a fleet wide average fuel efficiency standard of 120g CO2 per km by 2012, and to reduce this to 80g by 2020. Since car makers have failed to take the lead in meeting this challenge governments must act to bring about these changes.
