EU Launches Green Driving Campaign
July 2, 2008 – 12:25 pmThe European Commission yesterday launched a Europe-wide publicity campaign designed to promote greener driving habits.
More than 45,000 petrol stations across 29 European countries will take part in the “Save More Than Fuel” campaign, distributing millions of leaflets across the continent designed to encourage more fuel-efficient driving.
Energy commissioner Andris Piebalgs said that green driving practices – such as checking tyre pressure regularly and closing windows at high speeds to reduce drag – could make a major contribution to cutting carbon emissions and saving drivers money.
“To reach our ambitious targets of CO2 reduction and energy savings we have to make a big effort in all sectors,” he said. “In certain cases this will require high-tech solutions, but in others we just need to apply some common sense. This campaign provides a set of simple tips to reduce CO2 emissions and save money, simply by driving more intelligently.”
The campaign, which is being supported by the European Petroleum Industry Association (Europia), also has a new web site offering drivers advice on how to curb their carbon emissions, including recommendations to drive smoothly, change to higher gears as soon as possible and ensure the boot is not overloaded with unnecessary luggage.
Speaking in response to this week’s protests in the UK over rising fuel prices, Greenpeace’s executive director John Sauven agreed that green driving practices could help make a big contribution to improving fuel efficiency. “There are ways around the fuel price increases that are good news for the climate and good news for drivers’ pockets,” he explained. “Keeping your speed below 55 [mph] can save more money than the recent price hikes and cut CO2.”
Source:computeractive.co.uk
