"Nobody needs a car that does 10-15 mpg (miles per gallon, 19-28 litres per 100 kilometres)," Mark Moody-Stuart was quoted as saying.

"We need very tough regulation saying that you can't drive or build something less than a certain standard. You would be allowed to drive an Aston Martin -- but only if it did 50-60 mpg."

Moody-Stuart, who is currently chairman of mining group Anglo American, added that the EU was too lax with motor manufacturers and insisted that wealthier people must play their part in tackling climate change.

He was chairman of Shell between 1998 and 2001.