Ambitions to near eliminate carbon emissions from surface transport by 2045 have been detailed in a new regional strategy for the north of England, which highlights a need to move faster than current national targets.
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Transport for the North’s decarbonisation strategy – which published for public consultation on Monday – recommends key actions to increase take up of zero emission vehicles as well as shift journeys onto sustainable modes and reduce demand for travel.
“Surface transport is the largest contributing sector to greenhouse gas emissions in the UK,” said the sub national transport body’s interim chief executive Tim Wood. “The majority of this is from road transport, so there is a clear and urgent need to decarbonise our vehicles and roads over the coming years.
“But we must also take action on our rail network, with a rolling programme of electrification, and encourage a shift to more sustainable forms of transport and construction practices too.”
The strategy says a 55% reduction in surface transport emissions will be needed by the end of this decade, while over half of car and 40% of van purchases must be zero emission models by 2025 to meet the target.
Government is urged to strengthen its existing policy to phase out petrol and diesel car and van sales by 2030 to include hybrid vehicles, and increase taxes on new internal combustion engine vehicles from the early 2020s.
TfN says it will compile a pan-northern plan for zero emission vehicle infrastructure while the strategy also calls for a ‘coherent and comprehensive’ national strategy to be developed. It adds that the Government should fund trials of zero emission heavy goods vehicles and work with Network Rail to identify and fund a core network for railway electrification.
The strategy emphasises that it will also be essential in the short term to shift journeys away from private cars and find ways to reduce travel demand, as it will take time for non-emitting vehicle sales to translate into a substantial proportion of the region’s fleet.
Key local actions should include using marketing policies to rebuild confidence in the safety and value of public transport, while investing in bus and light rail, enhanced dedicated cycle networks, low traffic neighbourhoods and activities to promote behaviour change.
TfN will work to promote shared mobility at train stations, including car share, car club, cycle hire and e-scooter schemes, and urges Government to require employers to report on emissions from all employee travel to encourage a shift towards vehicle sharing.
The strategy adds that local authorities should consider measures such as clean air zones, congestion charging or workplace parking levies, as well as promoting 15-20 minute neighbourhoods and supporting the roll out of car free zones and streets.
In addition it says Government should develop a plan for taxing and pricing car travel, which should take account of expected reductions in fuel duty revenues and incentivise key outcomes such as reduced overall car travel.
The final Decarbonisation Strategy will be adopted by the TfN Board this autumn and submitted to the Government as statutory advice on behalf of the region. The public consultation closes on 31 August.
(Photograph: nrqemi - Shutterstock)
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