Having spent a day last week at the Frankfurt motor show I can assure you that the only topic of conversation from any car manufacturer was about how good they were at cutting CO2 emissions.
Yet in an adjoining conference eight of the biggest names in the automotive industry were giving a metaphorical two fingers to the EU’s CO2 targets, particularly the 120g/km average by 2012.
An interesting negotiating tactic.
When I returned to my office after the show I had a little light reading to do – the Conservatives’ latest report on the environment.
The report contained some wonderfully political phrases. My favourite, neatly summing up the above situation, read: “The [motor] industry has of course raised concerns over compliance costs but experience shows that, when car makers are required to implement new technology upon environmental or safety grounds, they raise alarm, and then when forced, deliver in less time and at a lower cost than estimated.”
The Tories may have a point here, but to level one at them I’m not convinced about their plan to tax cars when they park – the one time they’re at their greenest by not being used.