FLEETS will form the backbone of a drive to clean up vehicle emissions, according to the first report from the Government's Cleaner Vehicles Task Force. The task force is co-chaired by Ford of Britain chairman and managing director Ian McAllister, and brings together Government, industry and special interest groups, published its report on Tuesday with recommendations on how climate change and air pollution can be tackled.

For fleets, they include the creation of a Fleet Certification Scheme, which is already being presented to fleet managers throughout the country to encourage the adoption of voluntary emissions targets. In the report, the CVTF acknowledged the vital role the fleet industry was playing in cleaning up the environment.

A CVTF spokesman said: 'Business cars are newer, better maintained and less polluting than private cars, but engine size is 15% higher on average. There is an opportunity to help fleet purchasers to choose more fuel-efficient vehicles and reduce unnecessary mileage.'