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UK Publishes Strategy for Low Carbon Transport
15 July 2009
The UK’s Department for Transport has published a strategy designed to reduce emissions of carbon dioxide from the transport sector by around 14% (17.7 million tonnes) by 2020 compared to 2008.
The document, entitled “Low carbon transport: a greener future”, also frames the debate for a longer-term decarbonization of transport to give people and businesses more low-carbon choices about when, where and how to travel or transport goods. Transport currently makes up 21% of all UK domestic carbon emissions. The Carbon Reduction Strategy for Transport is based on three main themes:
- Supporting a shift to new technologies and lower-carbon transport fuels;
- Promoting lower carbon transport choices; and
- Using market-based measures to encourage a shift to lower carbon transport.
Transport accounts for a significant amount of our domestic emissions. Therefore decarbonizing this sector has to be front and centre of efforts to meet our obligations and commitments to tackle climate change. Our strategy sets out a long-term vision for a fundamentally different transport system in our country, where carbon reduction is a central consideration in the way we do business. If we are to safeguard the future of transport then we must also safeguard the environment that it impacts upon – I am determined to do that.
—Transport Secretary Andrew Adonis
Key elements in the strategy include:
A new steering group for the freight and logistics industry to find effective ways of measuring, reporting and reducing emissions across the logistics sector;
A commitment to work with European partners to develop a robust mechanism for regulating CO2 from new vans, including clear targets for the medium and long-term and a mechanism to encourage the development of the ultra-low carbon van market whilst respecting the diversity of the van market;
Proposed eligibility criteria for the £2-5,000 consumer incentives for electric and plug-in hybrid cars, expected to apply from 2011. This includes the requirement for the vehicle to have maximum tailpipe emissions of 75g CO2/km.
The strategy builds on a number of ongoing initiatives to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from transport and is part of a wider government plan for decarbonizing the UK and maximizing the economic benefits presented by low-carbon industries.
Resources
Carbon reduction Impact Assessment
July 15, 2009 in Climate Change, Europe, Fuel Efficiency, Fuels, Policy | Permalink | Comments (5) | TrackBack (0)
Comments
Posted by: sulleny | July 15, 2009 at 07:15 AM
i want to join becaues iam would like to one of you
Posted by: yes | July 15, 2009 at 07:29 AM
Nuclear power with plug in hybrid cars or H2 production.
..HG..
Posted by: Henry Gibson | July 15, 2009 at 07:54 AM
"Using market-based measures to encourage a shift to lower carbon transport."
In other words this probably means returning to the bad old days of increasing fuel tax well above inflation. Fuel prices are eye watering enough as it, so ridiculous that it is still cheaper to run an SUV in the states than a small compact in the UK. Who wants a gallon of UK gasoline for $6.50 a US Gallon. Hmm - its quiet out there!!
If people on low incomes who need their cars to get to work cannot afford to trade up to a smaller, more effieicent car then they are trapped in the kind of fuel poverty that the government conveniently ignores (because it rakes in £50bn in reveue from fuel tax and VAT at the pumps - 400% over the market price.
By all means lets encourage more efficiency, but lets do this in a way that influences the more affluent whilst inflicting less penalties on people on low incomes. In my view I would consider that a 'showroom tax' at the point of sale would shift the balance of cars entering the supply chain to a more efficient mix. Those few who are rich and stupid enough may still buy something thirsly, but the many who are more price concious will go for something more efficient.
This altered supply would eventually trickle down to the second hand market to benefit, in turn, those on low incomes. Surely this would a fairer approch at influencing the market rather than raping people at the pump, more so than the oil companies.
Posted by: Scott | July 15, 2009 at 08:42 AM
Yep. Who would want a ICE at all if given a reasonable alternative HEV? Even at .50 cents/kW, it's cheaper to buy electrical energy than to keep flogging on gasoline. Brits and Europeans are going to be serious customers for EVs precisely because of gasoline prices.
Same in the U.S. - even more so where electric rates dip down to .12-15 cents/kWh which yields (in the Volt) about $1.00 for 40 miles transport.
Sure, since government cringes at losing the fuel taxes they're addicted to - slap big cars with a VAT. Won't make up for gas tax losses but it will sell more efficient cars.
Posted by: sulleny | July 17, 2009 at 08:28 AM
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