MANUFACTURERS could be forced to provide customers with a league table showing their cars' environmental performance against rivals in a ground-breaking bid to encourage drivers into 'greener' vehicles.

Lord Whitty, transport and environment minister, has backed the recommendations of the 'Cars, Carbon Dioxide and Consumers' report, which also called for the Vehicle Certification Agency's New Car Fuel Consumption and Emission Figures to provide much easier comparisons of rival manufacturers' models in the same segment.

The report lays out specific guidelines for the format of environmental labels to be provided with new cars, including a recommendation that comparisons be based on carbon dioxide emissions, not fuel consumption. It also suggests consumers should be provided with information on how additional equipment, such as air conditioning, power steering and roof racks, affected fuel economy.

Lord Whitty said: 'Many people do not realise fuel consumption, and therefore CO2 emissions, can vary significantly between similar models of car. If consumers have more information they are likely to buy a more fuel-efficient vehicle.' Under a new system, drivers would be presented with colour-coded gradings, similar to the information currently found on electrical goods such as fridges.