Leaders of the LPG industry have called on Government to promote use of their fuel at an event at the Houses of Parliament.

They met at a Parliamentary reception hosted by Lord Chris Smith, former head of the Environment Agency, and called on the government to adopt a series of measures which could help improve air quality in the UK and avoid further EU fines for air pollution violations.

Speaking at the launch of the LPG Autogas Blueprint, A Low Carbon Alternative Fuel for Today, chief executive of the UKLPG trade association, Rob Shuttleworth, identified a number of key actions the government should adopt to deliver improved air quality and lower carbon emissions across the UK.

He said: “Liquefied Petroleum Gas is an incredibly versatile, plentiful and clean fuel which deserves greater recognition for its air quality credentials. Through our work with policy makers in Europe and the Blueprint launched this month, we are calling on the UK government to overtly promote an integrated road fuels strategy that sets out a framework for all fuels, including LPG Autogas.

“Additionally, we ask that consideration is given to a limited incentive programme to remove the most polluting vehicles from the UK’s roads, which should offer the option of converting to LPG Autogas. Furthermore, we call on the government to implement a level playing field by setting the same duty rate for all gaseous fuels to achieve fuel parity in the UK.”

Also present at the launch, environmental expert Dr Eric Johnson outlined the low-carbon benefits of LPG Autogas. Citing data from an independent German test facility, Dr Johnson explained: “In environmental terms LPG Autogas cars came out similarly to CNG cars and ahead of petrol and diesel. Compared to petrol and diesel, LPG Autogas cars are lower carbon. Compared to diesel, LPG is lower on pollutants that are harmful to human health.”

Shadow Transport Minister, Richard Burden MP, also called for a much more comprehensive vision for the future of road transport, recognising the LPG Autogas Blueprint as an important contribution to the debate. Speaking to UKLPG representatives at the launch, he argued that the quest for personal mobility should not be seen as exclusive to the demands of a low carbon economy.

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