Declining car CO2 emissions provide boost for air quality

Advancements in vehicle technology look to be boosting air quality across Europe, as figures have suggested that carbon emissions from new production cars fell last year.

Statistics released by the European Environment Agency this week have indicated a 3.7 per cent decline in CO2 output from newly-made vehicles.

This is the second biggest decline since records were first taken in 2000 and the improvement has been made despite the average engine size and weight of cars increasing.

Members of the EU have attributed the positive figures to the constant development of emission reducing technology.

Climate action commissioner Connie Hedegaard said: "These data show again that setting targets delivers results and stimulates the car industry to put greener cars on the market."

Road transport accounts for one-fifth of all CO2 pollution in the EU and is an area that environmental chiefs are keen to target.

A number of member states, including the UK, have recently been warned they could face penalties if they do not enforce an EU directive that promotes the use of green vehicles.

Posted by Claire Manning