An interim briefing from the Climate Assembly UK group found that 79% of members agreed that Government’s economic recovery measures should be designed to help achieve net zero.

It added that 93% thought individual lifestyle changes – such as home working and changing how we travel – should be encouraged as we ease out of lockdown, to help achieve environmental benefit.

Several participants in the forum noted that recovery from Covid-19 could provide a good opportunity to rethink infrastructure investments and accelerate the take up of electric vehicles.

The chairs of six Parliamentary committees including Huw Merriman from the Transport group wrote to the Prime Minister yesterday updating him on the work of Climate Assembly UK. They pointed out that “collective action” is needed to deliver on net zero, in the same manner as was seen in the response to Coronavirus. A final report from Climate Assembly UK is due in September.

In another letter to Downing Street, over 30 transport academics and professionals wrote to the Chancellor urging him to ensure that any future car ‘scrappage’ scheme is used to encourage the purchase of zero emission vehicles only.

They fear that if such a scheme was extended to cover hybrid vehicles and those powered by fossil fuels, it would undermine efforts to cut transport emissions. They also call on Government to bring forward the date of 2035 to phase out sales of petrol and diesel vehicles.

And a new report from the organisers of London Car Free Day calls for temporary walking and cycling measures introduced to support safer movement following Covid-19 to be made permanent to help the climate emergency response.

(Photograph: Garry Knight and licenced for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence)