Motorists who feel guilty about the damage their cars cause the environment are being offered ‘green’ breakdown cover which will fix their cars – and plant trees to help restore the environment.

The ETA (Environmental Transport Association) launches the new product today, called ‘carbon-neutral cover’, which commits to neutralising or offsetting the carbon dioxide emissions of members’ cars by funding projects, such as planting rainforests or providing energy saving light bulbs to small communities in the developing world.

Driving an ordinary saloon car for 8,000 miles over a year produces an average of 2.3 tonnes of CO2 - the equivalent of cutting down 12 mature trees a year. The ETA will fund the planting of new trees or other similar environment-saving projects for each breakdown cover purchased.