The car industry must expect tougher long-term carbon reduction targets, the chief advisor on transport climate change has warned.
Professor Julia King, the transport advisor on the Committee for Climate Change (CCC), told delegates at a conference today that bigger reductions in carbon dioxide from transport are “very likely” to feature in the committee’s next report to government.
“I think it is very likely that we will choose the tougher targets in our next report recommendation for 2022 – 2027,” she said at LCV2011, a showcase for low carbon vehicle technology held at the Millbrook proving ground in Bedford, UK.
King said progress towards cutting greenhouse gases has been faster than expected because of the recession and the success of the scrappage scheme.
“We need to capture this benefit and get onto a faster reduction than has been possible previously,” Prof King said in an interview at LCV 2010.
The CCC has been recommending five-yearly reductions in CO2 output since 2003 with the long-term goal of cutting the UK’s total carbon emissions by 80 per cent by 2050.
For the transport sector, that’s a 90g/km reduction in average CO2, compared with 1990 levels, for the entire UK transport fleet.
Transport has so far been targeted with a 34 per cent cut between 1990 and 2020, but King said that was still not enough to hit the long-term goal in 2050.
With the recession, though, King believes a cut of 42 per cent is now achievable and is expected to recommend that new target to government in its next report due in December.
What this means exactly for road transport won’t be revealed until the report later this year, but it is likely to mean an increased focus on public transport, more eco-driving education, planning strategies to force a shift to public transport, pressure to enforce a strict 70mph motorway speed limit and road pricing. These five measures are already the main planks of the CCC’s transport plan to 2020.
An interim report in July listed the potential benefits of the five. Road pricing was estimated as saving 6 million tonnes (Mt) of CO2, a strict 70mph Mway limit 1.4 Mt, better planning 3 Mt, eco-driving 1 Mt and shifting more drivers to public transport 3 Mt.
It is also likely to mean a stronger emphasis on electric car. The CCC has already recommended that 1.7m electric cars need to be on the road by 2020 to hit the long-term reduction target.
On its way to that target, which ties in with a significant increase in electricity generation from renewable sources, the CCC wants at least 240,000 EVs in regular use by 2015.
Pressure grows on carbon dioxide cuts
16 Sep 2010
The car industry must expect tougher long-term carbon reduction targets, the chief advisor on transport climate change has warned.
Professor Julia King, the transport advisor on the Committee for Climate Change (CCC), told delegates at a conference today that bigger reductions in carbon dioxide from transport are “very likely” to feature in the committee’s next report to government.
“I think it is very likely that we will choose the tougher targets in our next report recommendation for 2022 – 2027,” she said at LCV2011, a showcase for low carbon vehicle technology held at the Millbrook proving ground in Bedford, UK.
King said progress towards cutting greenhouse gases has been faster than expected because of the recession and the success of the scrappage scheme.
“We need to capture this benefit and get onto a faster reduction than has been possible previously,” Prof King said in an interview at LCV 2010.
The CCC has been recommending five-yearly reductions in CO2 output since 2003 with the long-term goal of cutting the UK’s total carbon emissions by 80 per cent by 2050.
For the transport sector, that’s a 90g/km reduction in average CO2, compared with 1990 levels, for the entire UK transport fleet.
Transport has so far been targeted with a 34 per cent cut between 1990 and 2020, but King said that was still not enough to hit the long-term goal in 2050.
With the recession, though, King believes a cut of 42 per cent is now achievable and is expected to recommend that new target to government in its next report due in December.
What this means exactly for road transport won’t be revealed until the report later this year, but it is likely to mean an increased focus on public transport, more eco-driving education, planning strategies to force a shift to public transport, pressure to enforce a strict 70mph motorway speed limit and road pricing. These five measures are already the main planks of the CCC’s transport plan to 2020.
An interim report in July listed the potential benefits of the five. Road pricing was estimated as saving 6 million tonnes (Mt) of CO2, a strict 70mph Mway limit 1.4 Mt, better planning 3 Mt, eco-driving 1 Mt and shifting more drivers to public transport 3 Mt.
It is also likely to mean a stronger emphasis on electric car. The CCC has already recommended that 1.7m electric cars need to be on the road by 2020 to hit the long-term reduction target.
On its way to that target, which ties in with a significant increase in electricity generation from renewable sources, the CCC wants at least 240,000 EVs in regular use by 2015.