17 Apr 09 13:37
Scrappage scheme flawed?
A key environmental organisation has slammed plans for a UK-wide car scrappage incentive scheme, saying it 'masquerades' as a green initiative.
The plan, where drivers will get £2,000 when they trade in their old cars for newer, more efficient models, has had plenty of positive publicity but it hasn't found favour with the Environmental Transport Association (ETA).
The ETA claims the scrappage scheme is flawed as a 'green' scheme because it fails to recognise how much energy is required to build a new car and suggests that the only way to be truly green is to keep your car as long as you can. The ETA recommends that drivers only replace their cars when they become unreliable.
ETA Director Andrew Davis said: 'Altering the way you drive and keeping a car longer can be a greener option than buying new.
'Even if the new model you buy is more economical, once you take into account the energy needed to scrap the old car and build an entirely new one the overall benefits are likely to be tiny.'
