Its Transport Decarbonisation Plan pledges an end to the sale of new diesel and petrol heavy goods vehicles by 2040, following the phasing out of polluting cars and vans five years earlier. Rail will become net zero by 2050, with polluting emissions from domestic aviation ending in 2040.

Further key commitments include taking action to increase average road vehicle occupancy by 2030, introducing a rail freight growth target and demonstrating zero emission HGV technology on UK roads this year.

It also pledges to publish a ‘Local Authority Toolkit’ this year providing guidance to support local areas to deliver more sustainable transport measures.

Overarching strategic priorities set out in the plan include accelerating modal shift to public and active transport – making these the ‘natural first choice’ for daily journeys – as well as decarbonising road transport and logistics, and focusing on ‘place based solutions’ to emissions reduction.

Today’s document comes after the Government last year pledged £2Bn to be spent on active travel, and earlier this year published plans to reform buses and railways.

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said the decarbonisation plan is not about stopping people doing things, but rather doing the same things differently. “We will still fly on holiday, but in more efficient aircraft, using sustainable fuel. We will still drive, but increasingly in zero emission cars.

“The Transport Decarbonisation Plan is just the start,” he added. “We will need continued efforts and collaboration to deliver its ambitious commitments which will ultimately create sustainable economic growth through healthier communities as we build back greener.”

In a written statement to Parliament, the Transport Secretary added that the Government plans to align local infrastructure funding to strategies designed to cut emissions.

Publication of the Transport Decarbonisation Plan had been expected in the spring. Last month the Transport Minister Rachel Maclean told the House of Commons she was “not satisfied” with a draft which she said failed to “meet the ambition we need” to reach “incredibly challenging targets”.

But not everyone is convinced of its merits. Some sector commentators have called the plan a missed opportunity for its lack of focus on reducing travel by private cars.

“There appears to be little additional funding to support the switch to more affordable and clean transport alternatives to cut overall car use,” said think tank IPPR’s Environmental Justice Commission head Luke Murphy. He called for local public transport to be upgraded and for services to be made free to all users across the UK by 2030.

Campaign for Better Transport’s head of policy, research and projects Silviya Barrett welcomed the focus on zero emission vehicles but emphasised: “There also need to be specific targets for reducing motor vehicle use”. She said she was concerned that the plan “will do nothing to rebalance transport spend away from road building and towards more sustainable modes”.

Think tank Centre for London’s director of strategic projects Rob Whitehead urged bolder actions to create a greener transport system, such as by introducing road pricing and legalising some micro mobility vehicles. He added that plans to ban the sale of diesel and petrol heavy goods vehicles are the right thing to do. “But we aren’t moving fast enough – just 3% of cars on our roads are electric.”

Logistics UK director of policy Elizabeth de Jong said the consultation on proposed phase out dates for carbon emitting HGVs “should enable business to move forwards with confidence”.

However the Road Haulage Association’s chief executive Richard Burnett described the proposals as “unrealistic”, stating that alternative heavy goods vehicles do not yet exist. “We don’t know when they will and what they will cost,” he said.

Confederation of British Industry chief UK policy director Matthew Fell said: “Phase out dates for polluting vehicles across road, rail and aerospace will send an important signal to markets and investors. These must be backed up with credible plans to accelerate the development of clean technologies like hydrogen and sustainable aviation fuels, as well as a comprehensive plan for rolling out charging infrastructure for electric vehicles.” 

Sue Percy, Chief Executive, CIHT said:

“CIHT welcome the publication of the TDP as we have previously called for the need for there to be a genuine plan with clear objectives, specific targets and unambiguous responsibilities, all backed with the necessary powers and resources.”

“There are a lot of positives in the TDP and we are pleased to see it recognise that the challenge of Net Zero cannot be met by a technology-fix alone and that innovation will need to be accompanied by significant behavioural change.”

“We have previously called for the need for the plan to acknowledge the fundamental link between transportation and planning and are encouraged that the TDP commits to making quantifiable carbon reductions a fundamental part of transport planning and funding.”

CIHT will be reviewing the full transport decarbonisation plan and will shortly publish further analysis and opinion on our dedicated Route to Net Zero project pages - 

To view the Transport Decarbonisation Plan, click here.

(Photograph: Ceri Breeze - Shutterstock)

Recommend CIHT

#StepForward

Propose a colleague who successfully becomes a CIHT member and you’ll be automatically be entered into our free monthly prize draw where one lucky winner will receive a £50 John Lewis Gift Card.

>>> Find out more