The target is set to become legally binding by the end of June after its adoption was urged by the independent committee in its Sixth Carbon Budget report, handed to Government earlier this year.

“In committing to cut emissions by almost 80% in 2035, the UK has taken its place at the forefront of global efforts to reach net zero,” said Climate Change Committee chief executive Chris Stark, welcoming the announcement.

“Now we have set this goal in law, Government, business and people up and down the country can throw their full weight behind the actions needed to get us there. It means that every choice we make from now must be the right one for our climate.”

The Sixth Carbon Budget report to Government included a series of policy recommendations on transport. It emphasised a need to reduce total car miles travelled by 9% by 2035, rising to 17% by 2050.

This must be driven by modal shift from cars to walking, cycling or public transport, as well as an increase in average car occupancy and increased home working, the committee said. Rapid scaling up of electric cars and chargers, delivery of new active travel infrastructure and disincentives against driving such as low emission zones are needed, it added.

However the Government has emphasised that its adoption of the committee’s recommended carbon budget level ‘does not mean we are following their specific policy recommendations’. Ahead of the COP 26 climate summit in Glasgow later this year, Government said it will be setting out its own vision for next zero alongside plans across key sectors of the economy to meet carbon budgets.

This includes a Transport Decarbonisation Plan due later this spring. Last year, Prime Minister Boris Johnson also committed to end sales of new petrol and diesel cars and vans by 2030.

Also responding to the Government’s announcement, National Infrastructure Commission chair Sir John Armitt said: “This ambitious target provides an important signal of intent, and raises the bar on the level of collaboration that will be required between Government and the private sector. Government urgently needs to set out clear, funded plans to support delivery of the infrastructure needed to support the journey to net zero.”

Prime Minister Boris Johnson said: “We want to continue to raise the bar on tackling climate change, and that’s why we’re setting the most ambitious target to cut emissions in the world.

“The UK will be home to pioneering businesses, new technologies and green innovation as we make progress to net zero emissions, laying the foundations for decades of economic growth in a way that creates thousands of jobs.”

The new 2035 carbon budget target also includes international aviation and shipping emissions for the first time. The announcement comes before the Prime Minister is due to address the opening session of the United States Leaders’ Summit on Climate, hosted by President Biden on Thursday.

CIHT is embarking on a project to develop a transport sector ‘Route to Net Zero’, which seeks to establish consensus among members and stakeholders on the pathway to decarbonisation.

The ‘Route to Net Zero’ project forms part of implementing the CIHT Climate Pledge. It will help to establish the industry’s readiness to deliver net zero and the Climate Change Committee’s sixth carbon budget, and will establish a CIHT led programme of action to support transportation professionals over the next decade.  

CIHT’s new Climate Change Associate Andrew Crudgington said: “This project is all about impact and prioritisation. If the UK is to meet its net zero obligations we need to rapidly decarbonise how we travel and also how we build and maintain the infrastructure we travel on.”

To find out more, visit www.ciht.org.uk/route2netzero

(Photograph: Sustrans)