Greener motoring with Renault's Eco2 cars

The green movement which has been gaining momentum over the last few years means that we are now being urged to consider the environmental impact of everything we do. It is something which affects every area of our lives, from the food we eat to the way we travel. With 30 million cars on the UK's roads, it is vital that we make the right decisions when it comes to motoring.

Trying to be an eco-friendly driver is tough because there is just so much to take into consideration. Where you drive, how you drive and what you drive all play a part in determining how much of an effect your motoring is having on the environment. Fortunately, Renault has made things just a little bit easier for us to make a green choice about what we drive thanks to the creation of its Eco2 range.

This consists of a number of its leading models, including the Twingo, the Modus, the Megane, the Scenic and both 3 and 5-door Clios, so there certainly isn't a lack of choice for those seeking a more eco-friendly motor. The Eco2 appellation indicates that the car meets certain "green" criteria, allowing drivers to know about its environmental characteristics at a glance.

There are three criteria which a Renault must meet to join the Eco2 range. The first is that the car must not emit more than 140g/km of CO2; a figure well below average for cars in the UK, which in 2005 stood at around 170g/km. Considering that vehicles are behind 20% of the UK's CO2 emissions, it is incredibly important for motorists to consider just how much their vehicle pollutes as they drive.

It is certain versions of the Clio and the Megane which perform the best in the Renault Eco2 range for this criterion. These models pump out 117g/km of CO2, which is much lower than many other cars on the roads and would even meet Friends of the Earth's desired emissions target for 2012, which stands at 120g/km.

However, there is also an alternative to meeting the 140g/km of CO2 limit. Renault vehicles which run on ethanol or biodiesel are also judged to be eco-friendly due to the fact that the CO2 they emit is partly offset by that which was taken out of the atmosphere by the plants used to grow them.

The second criterion which Eco2 cars must meet is that they were created in a plant that had qualified for the ISO 14001 certification. Whilst this does not mean that the manufacturing plant has adhered to certain emissions limits or the like, it does mean that there is an effective environmental management system in place, environmental laws have been complied with, and a third party organisation has judged this to be the case.

The final criterion that a car must meet in order to earn Renault's Eco2 symbol concerns recycling. When one of these cars finishes its useful life, Renault demands that at least 95% of it should be able to be recycled. 85% of the materials are reformed and reused, whilst 10% are turned into various forms of energy. As well as ensuring that its Eco2 cars are largely recyclable, Renault also constrains that they must utilise recycled materials as well. They must contain a minimum of 5% recycled plastics, but some, such as the New Laguna, include as much as 17%.

Whilst no vehicle car currently on the market can be said to be environmentally friendly, the steps that Renault has taken in creating the Eco2 range show that it is becoming easier for us motorists to reduce the environmental impact of travelling by car by making greener motoring choices.

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