SurfaceTension >> The Environment & Technology Blog

As TimesOnline reports, in a bold effort to reduce carbon emissions, the European Parliament is about to approve a plan that will require all car ads to carry “health-warnings” about their environmental impact.

Companies that produce the most polluting cars will also have to pay penalties of up to £5,000 per vehicle, with the proceeds used to reduce the cost of the most efficient cars. Advertisements in newspapers and magazines, will have to devote at least 20 per cent of the space to details about fuel economy and CO2 emissions.

The action comes with good reason, as European car manufacturers have failed to meet their promise to deliver more environmentally-friendly cars:

The industry agreed in 1998 that the 18 million new cars expected to be sold in Europe in 2008 should emit an average of no more than 140g of CO2 per kilometre. The average last year was 160g/km and emissions fell only 0.2 per cent on the previous year, the lowest reduction on record. Privately manufacturers admit that they have no hope of meeting the target.

A fifth of the European Union’s CO2 emissions come from cars and road transport accounts for 60 per cent of all the oil used by member states.

Another interesting point that the article bring to light is that the policy is aimed especially at large German manufacturers  such as Mercedes-Benz and BMW, since they predominantly manufacture large, polluting cars.

Ed’s note: I think that this is an excellent example that the rest of the world should follow. Sure, most people will ignore the ads, but it’s about time that people are forced to be aware of their environmental impact, especially their carbon footprints. A negative connotation to poor emissions standards displayed in the ads may spur action in the car industry, causing manufacturers to build environmentally friendly cars. This could have a profound long-term impact on pollution.