The Government will consult on introducing E10 petrol which could see the equivalent of taking up to 350 000 cars off the road annually in equivalent carbon emissions.
The consultation will ask whether E10 should become the standard petrol at UK stations for petrol vehicles. The ethanol content of the petrol – 10%, up 5% from current petrol - will have the potential to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 750 000 tonnes annually.
Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said:
“The next 15 years will be absolutely crucial for slashing emissions from our roads, as we all start to feel the benefits of the transition to a zero-emission future.
“But before electric cars become the norm, we want to take advantage of reduced CO2 emissions today. This small switch to petrol containing bioethanol at 10% will help drivers across country reduce the environmental impact of every journey. Overall this could equate to about 350,000 cars being taken off our roads entirely.”
Grant Pearson, Commercial Director of Ensus UK on Teesside, said:
“We welcome today’s announcement as the availability of E10 will instantly make petrol a lot cleaner, providing significant carbon reduction benefits to our environment on the long road to net-zero emissions by 2050.
“It is vitally important to protecting and potentially growing jobs in this industry, including many in the supply chain, and will bring tangible benefits to UK farmers and environmentally-conscious motorists.”
This is one of the latest measures announced to ensuring the Government reaches it net-zero emission target by 2050. Recently, the Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, announced the phasing out of coal and wet wood sales in England and carbon cuts to heavy industry and homes through a £90 million-pound package.
Local MP, Caroline Dinenage, commented:
“Pleased to see the latest measures being taken to reduce our carbon emissions and combat climate change. I highly recommend that residents across the Gosport constituency have their say in petrol standards and what they would like to see going forward.”
