The rise in popularity of ultra-heavy urban off-road vehicles in England has led to a surprising result: a conventionally-engined car bought in 2013 emits less CO2 on average than a new car bought today. The study showed a statistically significant relationship between income and ownership of larger SUVs, on the basis of which a tax based on the size of the vehicle is considered justified.
Those in the top 20% of income travel three times as many kilometers as those in the lowest income quintile. The study concluded that carbon dioxide emissions from the driving habits of richer people harm the climate more than those of poorer people.
This research comes amid growing concerns about the environmental, health and safety impacts resulting from the growing popularity of off-road vehicles. These large four-wheel drive vehicles often weigh more than two tons. In recent years, SUVs have grown from around a fifth of cars sold in the UK to almost a third.
The report also suggests taxing motorists based on greenhouse gas emissions, rather than emissions with direct public health impacts, such as nitrogen oxides. The authors also call for parking and road use fees to be charged based on carbon dioxide emissions in the name of social justice.
In Lambeth, south London, owners of heavy, high-emission vehicles have to pay more than four times as much for their annual parking permit as owners of small cars. In a similar system in Kensington and Chelsea, the difference could be as much as tenfold. It may encourage other municipalities to adopt similar measures.
SUVs are more popular in other Western countries, accounting for about half of all sales in the United States. According to a report by the Paris-based International Energy Agency, SUVs globally caused emissions equivalent to the combined national emissions of the United Kingdom and Germany this year.
Cover image source: Getty Images
