Study of environmental rating schemes

Completed

Energy Efficiency(Transport)
Not Energy Related

Basic and strategic applied research

ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES (Geography and Environmental Studies)
SOCIAL SCIENCES (Economics and Econometrics)
SOCIAL SCIENCES (Psychology)
ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY (Mechanical, Aeronautical and Manufacturing Engineering)

Sociological economical and environmental impact of energy (Environmental dimensions)
Sociological economical and environmental impact of energy (Consumer attitudes and behaviour)
Sociological economical and environmental impact of energy (Technology acceptance)
Other (Energy technology information dissemination)

Project Contact
Transport Research Institute, Edinburgh Napier University

Standard

DfT

01 June 1999

28 December 2000

18 months

£60,000

Transport

Scotland

DfT Cleaner fuels and vehicles

Project Contact, Transport Research Institute, Edinburgh Napier University

Project Contact, University of Oxford

The project objectives are to: * consider the effectiveness, cost and practical implementation of different vehicle environmental rating schemes; * consider the relative merits of different approaches taken in the banding of vehicles, in terms of their environmental impact (CO2, regulated pollutants and noise), taking into account the experience of countries where such schemes exist; and * determine best practice in the presentation of information on vehicle fuel consumption and other environ mental impacts to enable purchasers to make informed purchasing decisions.

Consumer purchasing power can dictate the range of goods on the market. If consumers place more emphasis on the environmental performance of their vehicles, this may lead to significant changes in the market place. Consumers need access to the right information in order to help them make informed choices. In various countries, there are a variety of different labels and guides on the environmental performance of vehicles. This study, commissioned by the Cleaner Vehicles Task Force, and carriedout for the DTLR and SMMT by Napier and Oxford Universities has looked at the information that consumers find most helpful in making product choices, including guides and vehicle environmental labels. Consumer reaction to different vehicle labels, including those that explicitly compare the environmental performance of different vehicles in the same class, has been tested. The project reported in late 2000, with recommendations on what types of guides and labels are likely to influence consumerbehaviour.

21/12/07