New policies will be key to decarbonising road transport
Decarbonising road transport by 2050 is possible but new policies will be crucial, say stakeholders.
In a new survey, which was commissioned by Zemo Partnership, more than 70% of respondents said that the 2030 phase-out for the sale of new petrol and diesel cars and vans is realistic.
17% said they have already made the switch to electric, while 53% said they feel the timing is ‘about right.’
However, 66% of those involved said they believe the policies enacted so far to decarbonise road transport are not enough.
Around 58% of respondents said that behaviour change will deliver as much, or if not greater carbon reductions than technology and nearly 70% of respondents think that they will be able to cut their household’s carbon emissions from travel to zero (or near zero) by the Government’s 2050 target date.
Speaking at the Zemo Partnership Conference, transport minister Rachel Maclean said: ‘COP26 will be a crucial moment to test our global commitment to fight rising temperatures and prevent irreversible damage to our planet. In the UK, nothing short of a green industrial revolution will do.’
Zemo Partnership’s chief executive, Andy Eastlake, said: ‘Our privileged position – bridging government and the widest range of members together – will enable us to work the detail of many of the 78 commitments seen in the Transport Decarbonisation Plan.
‘Across all road vehicles and fuels, our members have committed to drive progress to zero emissions. Our new acceleration programme of key projects and new initiatives embraces the much wider range of stakeholders needed and their appetite to accelerate the pace of change, not only in terms of technology, but of energy, infrastructure, information and behaviour. We aim to deliver this using hard evidence, clear targets and widespread engagement.
‘As transport, technology and systems converge, so does our need to think differently. Operating in our traditional, closed silos is no longer enough.’
Photo by JJ Ying
