According to the most recent Sustainability Report from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), the UK automotive industry’s carbon footprint last year was the lowest since records began, having dropped by 11.2% on the previous year.
Despite production increasing sharply by 40.2% as the industry recovered from the pandemic, while also dealing with the transition towards electric and other emission-free vehicles, the automotive supply chain’s carbon emissions dropped by 81,095 tonnes.
The average CO2 emissions of UK vehicles dropped by 11.2% as older vehicles were replaced by more efficient, modern internal combustion vehicles, as well as electric vehicles. The SMMT says the automotive industry has reduced its carbon footprint by 70.6% since 1999, which equates to having almost 900,000 fewer cars on the road.
Low-volume and specialist UK manufacturers, many of which are world renowned, did particularly well by contributing absolutely no landfill waste and cutting per-vehicle production emissions by over a quarter.
Mike Hawes of the SMMT wrote in a CEO update:
“The automotive sector is central to the UK’s carbon reduction ambitions and with government support to improve UK competitiveness, we can ensure that transition continues to create well-paid, clean-tech jobs while generating economic prosperity and growth in all regions of the UK.”
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