MY green credentials received a dramatic boost the moment my children learnt to drive.

At a stroke, my carbon footprint was significantly reduced as I lost complete control of my own car to two young adults who know how to drive it far better than I can, apparently.

To be fair, I can’t really disagree with the deal I struck. In return for reducing my carbon footprint, I get to pay for a car that I can drive any time I like, as long as I book a slot months in advance.

Even then, there’s always a last- minute hitch which means that I have to take the bus again.

Us eco warriors, for that is what I am on the grounds that I rarely drive my own car, can take smug satisfaction as we walk through the freezing rain, knowing we are helping to combat global warming.

My children, who are of the generation that thinks they invented environmental awareness, meanwhile drive everywhere without a hint of irony as they buy fast food and coffee in non-recyclable paper cups.

I mention this as the latest war on the motorist has been launched by environmentalists who want to tax drivers even more to help fund free public transport.

It is contained in Scotland’s climate assembly’s latest report which calls for “a much faster” programme of action to tackle climate change.

The Welsh Government yesterday went even further and announced they will stop all new road building projects as they move towards net zero, despite new roads saving lives.

It all sounds increasingly tiresome, as the narrative set out by environmentalists is that everything is the fault of cars and planes and everyone should be taxed off the roads and out of the skies.

If you live in a plush flat in the west end of our cities and your workplace is close, then it is easy to use public transport, walk or cycle.

However, it is a vastly different story if you live in one of the many rural areas across Scotland where you have no option but to drive.

If you live in Gairloch, for example, and you have a hospital appointment at Raigmore Hospital in Inverness at 10am then you have no choice but to drive as there are very few, if any, direct buses.

People who live in the north of Aberdeen but work in the south will also struggle to get public transport so will use the £850m bypass instead. It is the same in Glasgow, Edinburgh and Dundee.

Waging war on the motorist is beloved of a metropolitan, liberal elite who have no real concept of the economic impact on millions of people.

Transport accounts for 25 per cent of our annual carbon emissions, but that has fallen in recent years, despite traffic rising.

Overall, the UK’s carbon emission have fallen 65% since 1990. We are moving in the right direction, though we can’t be complacent. But nor should we punish drivers any further by hiking bills while making the roads less safe.