Environmental Impact of Transport

Transport number one contributor to UK’s greenhouse gases

The transport sector is currently the number one contributor to the UK’s greenhouse gas

emissions and little progress has been made over the past three decades in reducing emissions.  22% of the UK’s greenhouse gas emissions are due to transport with cars contributing 60% of this total.  The government is also predicting a 51% increase in traffic in England and Wales by 2050 with 10million extra cars on the road. The wider social costs of congestion, accidents etc. will be major.

The increasing evidence of Climate Change requires for urgent action to address.  This creates a once in a generation opportunity to put in place a new approach to how we all travel.

All Aboard Report

The Institute for Public Policy Research has produced a report ‘All Aboard’ proposing how we could decarbonsies how people travel.  The IPPR outlines a vision for a transport system that is fair to all, works to improve people’s health and wellbeing and provides a better environment for nature.

The report highlights that policymakers’ current preferred strategy for decarbonising

transport places an overwhelming focus on the shift to electric vehicles. The report argues that this approach doesn’t  deliver the improvements in quality of life of an alternative strategy which prioritises the needs and wellbeing of all people.

Creating more liveable streets and neighbourhoods, alongside the shift to electric vehicles, is essential to realising the economic, environmental and social benefits of a transformed transport system. These benefits include reclaiming space for nature, improved health through improvements in air quality, and the economic benefits of lower congestion.