We are headteachers who represent schools from across London. Our schools are in areas where our children and young people are being forced to breathe some of the most toxic air in London, and the country as a whole.
We welcome the bold commitments you have made to clean up London’s air.
The car industry is under the spotlight this week. Fiat are facing accusations of cheating on diesel emissions by the US Environmental Protection Agency. Like Volkswagen it is about using technology that hides the true impact and damage their cars are doing. The accusations came just a day after Volkswagen admitted to cheating emissions tests in over 500,000 vehicles and received fines of $4.3bn.
Responding to reports that Fiat Chrysler has been accused of cheating on diesel emissions by the US Environmental Protection Agency, Areeba Hamid, clean air campaigner at Greenpeace UK, said:
‘How many nails in the coffin does diesel need? Just a day after Volkswagen admitted to cheating emissions tests in over 500,000 vehicles and received fines of $4.3bn, these are serious charges against Fiat which show that this industry is in crisis.
Figures show diesel car-makers spent up to €18.5m lobbying in Brussels
25 September, 2015
Greenpeace has written to the government to ask if
ministers knew before this month that VW was fixing emissions tests, as the
green group publishes new data revealing the extent of the car lobby’s power in
Brussels.
The environmental group has written to Transport
Secretary Patrick McLoughlin and Environment Secretary Liz Truss, posing four
questions:
- Did the government know before this month about the
existence of so-called ‘defeat devices’?
- If it did, what did it do to combat
efforts by car manufacturers to fix emissions tests?
- If the government was aware of the
existence of ‘defeat devices’, did it discuss the issue with manufacturers of
diesel cars? If so, how many meetings took place, who attended and what was the
outcome?
How’s your New Year’s resolutions list going? We’re waiting to hear how Volkswagen has begun 2013.
This morning more than 25 Greenpeace activists protested against the carmaker’s stance on the climate outside the Vienna car show. Handing out leaflets and making the point that VW can do better, we were hoping that the company makes some strong commitments.
VW is still pushing for weaker emissions laws in Europe
"Environmental protection is the top priority for
Volkswagen". So says the blurb for VW’s latest PR initiative. But
according to a story in yesterday’s Guardian newspaper it seems no one told their lobbyists…
The story reveals that the VDA, the lobby group that
represents VW along with fellow German carmakers BMW and Daimler, wants to
make a big hole in a proposed EU law to control CO2 emissions from even
bigger cars.
Activists from Greenpeace France hang a banner at the Paris Motorshow
Sometimes it seems like industry directly dictates the laws that politicians draw up. And it’s just been revealed that our old friends Volkswagen are leading the way against green EU legislation.
50 Greenpeace volunteers protest against the high fuel consumption of the new Volkswagen Golf VII
Its been over a year since Greenpeace first asked VW to leave the Dark Side and stop lobbying against strong climate laws. Since then we’ve heard rumours that there is good in the company, that they are wrestling with their conscience and looking to improve their green credentials. Yet last night the company finally launched their new Golf7, and sadly it seems the Dark Emperor inside VW is clinging on.
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