Air quality news: UK drivers encouraged to cut car use by new ad

The UK government has launched a new advertising campaign to encourage drivers to reduce their car use.

Research by the Department for Transport estimates that if every car owner in the UK reduced the distance they drive each week by five miles, then as a nation 2.7 million tonnes of CO2 would be saved annually.

Sadiq Kahn, UK transport minister, said: "The campaign asks people to think more carefully about the journeys they routinely take. In our daily lives we create over 40 per cent of the UK's CO2 emissions, every action we can take to reduce this figure will make a difference."

Other activities identified by the study as sources that contribute considerably to individual CO2 output include space heating, personal flights and water heating.

The latest advert is part of the government's wide-reaching campaign, Act on CO2, which aims to encourage the entire UK population to think about - and reduce - its emissions levels.

It is not only restricted to reducing carbon footprints, it also targets water wastage and aims to raise awareness about global issues resulting from climate change.

Posted by Joseph Hutton