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Friends of the Earth reacts to declining diesel car sales

news release

“Policy confusion” not responsible for falling diesel car sales

Reacting to the news that diesel sales in January fell by 26% and the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders’ claim today that “policy confusion” is behind the declining sales of new diesel cars, clean air campaigner at Friends of the Earth, Oliver Hayes said:

“People aren’t shunning diesel because they’re confused, they’re doing so because it’s increasingly clear that diesel’s days are numbered. With an ever-growing list of links between diesel pollution and impacts on people’s health, and with industry misinformation now laid bare, it’s really no surprise that consumers have lost faith in diesel.

“The decline in diesel is good news for the quality of air in the UK, but we now need to see the government urgently investing in improving public transport networks, along with walking and cycling infrastructure in order to get as many people as possible out of private cars and into cleaner, healthier alternatives.

“It’s high time we reimagined our cities so that people – not traffic– come first. Our health, our sense of community, and our wellbeing depend on it.”

 

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