An electric car revolution and the roll out of sustainable travel towns and cities across the country are needed to meet transport’s commitment to reducing carbon emissions, according to the Committee on Climate Change.
In its first annual report to Parliament, the committee called for a ‘step change’ in the pace of UK emissions reduction to meet carbon budgets. It reported that emissions were falling at an average of 0.5% a year, but cuts of 2-3% were required to meet targets. The economic downturn was likely to have produced an emissions cut of 2% in 2008, but the committee warned that ‘recession-induced reductions must not be confused with underlying progress’.
Its recommendations for transport, which combine technology with ‘smarter choices’, would result in a 25% emissions reduction on 2007 levels by 2020.
The Government is urged to develop a comprehensive strategy for rolling out 240,000 electric cars and plug-in hybrids by 2015, and 1.7m by 2020, supported by appropriate charging infrastructure.
Meanwhile, to encourage better journey planning and greater public transport use, a phased roll out of ‘smarter’ travel towns and cities was encouraged, based on the success of the sustainable travel town projects – in Darlington, Worcester and Peterborough – in reducing emissions.
A new strategy was also required to integrated land use and transport planning. This would focus on promoting urban regeneration over out-of-town developments, supported by investment in public transport infrastructure and smarter choice policies. Such as strategy especially applied to the Government’s plans to build 3m new homes by 2020.
The committee recommended that national road pricing, which could save around 6mt of CO2 in 2020, providing there were no offsetting reduction of other aspects of pricing, such as fuel duty or vehicle excise duty. Lord Turner, chair of the CCC said: ‘With carbon budgets in place, we now need to achieve a step change in the pace of emissions reduction. ‘The Government must build on its “low carbon transition plan” and put in place a comprehensive delivery framework. What we have proposed is achievable and affordable, but action needs to be taken now if we are to make our contribution to combating climate change.
Stephen Joseph, executive director of Campaign for Better Transport, said the committee’s report was a ‘clear message’ that the Government could not just rely on electric vehicles and biofuels as transport’s contribution to tackling climate change.
‘As the committee says, more radical changes in transport planning and roll out of travel plans and other “smarter choices” are essential to cut transport emissions. Funding for these needs to be protected and expanded in forthcoming spending reviews,’ he said.
• Meeting carbon budgets – the need for a step change
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