UK thwarts EU crack down on gas guzzlers

Cars are responsible for 12 per cent of all CO2 emissions across the EU

Once again our government's green credentials have been put to the test and found wanting. Presented by the EU Parliament with a perfect opportunity to force Europe's motor industries to reign-in their gas guzzling, climate damaging ways, they opted instead to give in to the demands of the car lobby.

Only two weeks ago the European Parliament unexpectedly backed legislation which would have dramatically cut the amount of CO2 passenger vehicles are allowed to emit, sending a long overdue signal that the days of gas-guzzling cars are coming to an end. Resisting strong pressure from car manufacturers, MEPs on the environment committee approved measures to limit vehicle emissions to 120 CO2/km by 2012. They also agreed on a longer term target to reduce emissions still further - to 95g CO2/km by 2020. This compares with a current EU average of 158g CO2/km.

But Europe's car makers, who had lobbyed heavily for both a delay to the 2012 target date and weaker penalties for non-compliance, were not about to respect the Parliament's decision. Their lobbying continued at ministerial level, as both EU environment ministers and the European Commission needed to agree on the final wording of the proposals in order to make them a reality. And in the the end it appears to have been the UK government which has been most influential in ensuring that the proposals will not see the light of day, and that concessions to the German car industry proposed earlier in the year by French PM Nicholas Sarkosy and German Chancellor Angela Merkel are adopted across Europe in their place.

So instead of effective legislation to limit emissions from cars and protect the climate, we get protectionist policies designed to defend outdated and inefficient car industries in the UK, France and Germany. Will they ever learn?