At Ford we’re committed to reducing our environmental impact through technology. As part of that, we’ve teamed up with BP targetneutral, a not-for-profit initiative that helps motorists reduce and offset CO2 emissions from their driving. Below are some tips on reducing your motoring emissions, along with some advice about replacing your current car and fuel with alternatives that give off less carbon. You’ll also discover how to neutralise your motoring emissions, by helping fund emissions reduction projects worldwide to offset them.
1. How to reduce your emissions.
There are plenty of simple things you can do that could help to make a difference to the planet.
• Share a car. Even with just one other person, it will reduce your emissions by half – and save you money.
• Use air conditioning sparingly. Driving with the air conditioning on uses more fuel.
• If you change up a gear whenever you reach 2,500 revs (2,000 for diesel), you’ll use less fuel and produce fewer emissions.
2. Replacing items that produce a lot of CO2.
As well as reducing emissions, this could also save you money in the long run. For example:
• Buying a more energy efficient car can reduce CO2 emissions and cut fuel consumption, saving money in the process. You might want to think about our Ford Focus 1.6 TDCi ECOnetic, which won the inaugural WhatGreenCar? ‘Green Car of the Year 2008’.
• Changing to a fuel like BP Ultimate can enhance engine performance and reduce exhaust emissions.
3. How to neutralise your emissions.
You can choose to either neutralise your driving emissions until your next service (typically 12,500 miles) or decide yourself how much to neutralise. Then, based on your vehicle and annual mileage, we can calculate how much it will cost. This will then simply be added to your service bill. Your money will be invested in independently verified emissions reduction projects† worldwide. As well as reducing emissions, they enhance sustainable economic and environmental development and encourage people to make low carbon choices. Currently, they include:
• A collective of wind farm projects in Rajasthan, India
• A Cookstove Efficiency Programme in Cambodia, to reduce the use of charcoal, and hence emissions, from cookstoves
• Wind turbines in Karnataka in India • Methane capture from pig farming in Mexico
• A composting facility in Australia Once you’ve neutralised your emissions, we’ll also send you a certificate as proof you’ve done so.
†All projects in the BP targetneutral programme are selected through an extensive tendering process on their ability to demonstrate additional, permanent and independently verified emissions reductions. An independent advisory panel chaired by Jonathon Porritt also checks and ensures that all funds are spent according to the official statements and guidelines. Ford will not take any profit from this programme and we will pass all of your contribution to BP targetneutral along with your details. For full terms and conditions, please visit targetneutral.co.uk