A key Irish automotive industry figure has criticised an over-emphasis on the motor business in Government regulation to cut CO2 emissions.
Dave Shannon, MD of Toyota Ireland said that the industry is well aware of its responsibilities to combat climate change, and on a global basis is working hard to do this.
"However, I think we're being branded unfairly as the main contributor to the problem," he said. "For instance, in March next year, the Irish Government will be a signator to an 'open skies' agreement with the US which will expand air traffic across the atlantic. This extra traffic will increase CO2 emissions by the equivalent of that produced by 13 million cars. I don't hear Mr Gormley saying much about this at all."
Thirteen million cars is the equivalent of the number which will be sold this year in the EU or the US marketplaces.
Mr Shannon also said the industry needed to 'fight back' against uneducated comments from news media commentators and others who often made statements about cars and the environment which were simply not true.
He said that all such comments should be immediately replied to and corrected. BB
