Since it was launched on World Environment Day on 5 June 2008, the Make Cars Green campaign has gone global, with events held across the world to promote greener motoring to the general public.
South America has been a key area for the campaign, particularly in response to increased motorist concern regarding rising fuel prices and the environmental impacts of motoring in the region. But FIA Clubs have found that governments and the general public alike have been receptive to the campaign's initiatives.
The Argentinean automobile club, ACA, is currently promoting the Make Cars Green campaign in tandem with its ongoing Programme for Road Safety Education. This involves visits to more than 90 towns to educate children, teachers and traffic inspectors about safe and eco-friendly driving.
Other countries have utilised the popularity of motor sport to help promote the message. In Brazil, the national club AAB arranged to promote the campaign during the Formula One Grand Prix, with a number of adverts broadcast on the screens at the Interlagos circuit.
In El Salvador, the automobile club ACES used the Autódromo International El Jabalí, an important race circuit in the country, to host the launch of the campaign. The event's success was aided by the club's invitation of well known Central American personalities to attend, bringing focus to the environmental message and galvanising public support.
Further launches recently took place in Peru, Venezuela, Uruguay, Paraguay, Mexico, and Colombia, reinforcing the Region's established campaigns. Also new to the campaign has been support from clubs in Nicaragua, Barbados, and the Dominican Republic.
The Dominican Republic's ACD has made notable progress, with the inclusion of the Make Cars Green leaflet in all driving and road safety manuals, which are distributed to over 10,000 motorists per month giving the campaign direct access to the motoring public.
The Make Cars Green message has also spread across the Asia-Pacific region. In New Zealand, the automobile club NZAA, which first launched the campaign alongside the New Zealand Prime Minister on World Environment Day, has instigated a country-wide campaign with promotions at all of the club's 40 shops across the region. The club is also in direct discussions with the New Zealand government and transport agencies with regards to the broader promotion of greener motoring at a national level.
In Japan, the automobile club JAF, one of the largest in the world with 19 million members, helped with the launch of the Make Cars Green tyre during the Japanese Grand Prix. The specially prepared green-grooved tyres were launched at a ceremony in Tokyo, with support from Formula One teams McLaren-Mercedes and Ferrari, as well as their drivers Lewis Hamilton, Heikki Kovalainen, Felipe Massa and Kimi Räikkönen.
JAF recently promoted the campaign to the local media during a press conference, before giving journalists a real chance to experience eco-driving at one of the club's test centres. The club has also been active during a number of sporting events, hosting stalls in the merchandising areas at both Formula One and WRC events. These stalls offered free materials, interactive games, and displays outlining green motoring to members of the public.
Across the African continent Make Cars Green has been actively promoted by FIA clubs. In Sudan, the local club SAC made Make Cars Green a central feature of the Khartoum Motor Show. In South Africa, the AASA has been conducting a number of eco-driving demonstrations and organised a race over a 200km route, with the winner decided on fuel consumption as well as time.
Europe recently witnessed the conclusion of the FIA Ecotour, an eco-rally hosted by FIA clubs, which passed through nine European countries, promoting Make Cars Green along the route. In Russia, the national club ACARUS has distributed campaign material to members through its patrol services.
HAK in Croatia has worked under the auspices of the Ministry of Environment, Physical Planning and Construction of Croatia to launch the Make Cars Green campaign. Recently, the club organised a stand at the Zagreb Auto Show where members of HAK discussed greener motoring with the public, and which acted as a showcase for the Make cars Green campaign.
With a number of new events in the pipeline for Make Cars Green in 2009, and with more FIA cubs planning to join the initiative, the campaign is set for further growth as it spreads the eco-drive message across the world.
