Amid a wave of government-led bailouts for car companies, a group of international agencies and motoring organizations called on Wednesday for car makers worldwide to reduce emissions.

“In confronting the economic recession this is a real opportunity for governments to combine support for the auto industry with measures to achieve environmental and energy policy goals,” said Nobua Tanaka, the executive director of the International Energy Agency.

“Battery electric vehicles, plug-in hybrids and possibly hydrogen fuel cell vehicles are expected to become increasingly available in the near-to-medium term given recent improvements especially in batteries,” the 50-by-50 campaign noted in a leaflet. “However, these advanced technologies are not necessary to achieve the 50 percent potential described here, but could result in further CO2 reductions and oil savings if they succeed in achieving mass-market commercialization.”