Sir – The loss of jobs at BMW’s Cowley plant in Oxford is sad news. This decision will be even more regrettable if it puts at risk production of the Mini Cooper D, one of our greenest cars.

The Mini Cooper D emits 104g carbon dioxide per kilometre, the same level of emissions as the Toyota Prius.

The Mini was highly rated in last year’s WhatGreenCar awards and was ranked higher than the Prius in a study by Cardiff University in 2007.

Fuel efficient cars will be important in our efforts to tackle climate change. The Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment is studying ways of reducing the environmental impact of transport.

The Government should be investing more in cleaner transport so that a broad range of energy-saving initiatives can reach their full potential.

Professor Sir David King, Director, Dr Oliver Inderwildi, Research Fellow, Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment, University of Oxford