Car buyers care about CO2 emissions by default

Only 0.1 per cent of prospective car buyers consider the environmental impact of CO2 emissions more important than other factors when choosing a new vehicle.

According to a poll carried out by car comparison site, car buzz, of the 1% of respondents who claimed CO2 emissions would be the first thing they looked at, two thirds said this was to save money through cheaper road. Only one in ten of those respondents were concerned about the impact on the environment.

A spokesperson for the Environmental Transport Association (ETA) said: “Awareness about CO2 emissions from cars is incredibly low, but thankfully fuel economy remains an important factor for car buyers and a vehicle’s mpg figure is very closely linked to its CO2 emissions.”

Two thirds of drivers “don’t have a clue”

Nearly two-thirds of British drivers have no idea about the impact their driving has on the environment.

A survey conducted by the Environmental Transport Association in 2008 found that 65 per cent of drivers “didn’t have a clue” how much CO2 they produce when driving.

The survey also found that men are less worried than their female counterparts about the effect their driving has, with younger drivers being more environmentally aware.

Calculate your car’s CO₂ g/km from its mpg

If you know a car’s mpg figure, you can use a simple calculation to work out its CO₂ g/km figure.

The calculation is simple, but you may find it helps to use a calculator.