Transport Minister announces low emission scheme

Transport Minister Andrew Jones has announced the launch of the Low Carbon Accreditation Scheme, which has been developed by LowCVP members, in a bid to cut emissions.

Jones made the announcement at the LowCVP’s Annual Conference, where he explained that the initiative is designed to tackle one of the main barriers to the adoption of lower carbon, cleaner and more efficient commercial vehicles in the UK.

Jones commented: “We are always looking at new ways to make the vehicles on our roads cleaner and this new scheme will help the freight industry to embrace the latest technology.

“The UK’s low emission vehicle industry is a huge success story and a source of strength in our economy. This is further proof that the government is leading the way as global demand for these vehicles grow.”

The scheme was developed by the Office for Low Emission Vehicles (OLEV) and the Department for Transport (DfT) and is being introduced following collaboration with key partners, including Horiba Mira; Millbrook; TRL; Michelin; Stobart Group; Mercedes Truck; Transport for London (TfL); and Transport KTN.

The project will provide information on the operational characteristics of the technology, and supply practical information to operators on its potential applicability. The test and accreditation scheme is to be focused on proving existing technology in a robust back-to-back comparison under realistic HGV operational scenarios.

The initiative will target the development of a low carbon HGV market by addressing the fact that operators don’t have a ‘go-to’ source of reliable and impartial information about low carbon, fuel saving retrofit technologies.

The LowCVP Managing Director Andy Eastlake said: “Earlier work by the LowCVP identified that the absence of reliable, robust and accessible data was one of the most significant barriers to the adoption of low carbon and fuel saving technology in trucks.

“Thanks to the work of many key partners and supporters we believe that this initiative will encourage the adoption of many positive innovations, saving carbon and costs, and can form the basis for further policy support in this vital road transport sector.”

Rachael Dillon, Freight Transport Association’s (FTA) climate change policy manager, said: “Adopting operational efficiency measures are key for any commercial fleet operator to improve fuel efficiency and reduce carbon emissions. However too often it is difficult for companies to decipher what the best technologies are out there for them to utilise.

“We welcome and support the Low Carbon Accreditation Scheme developed by the LowCVP to help our members have confidence to invest in technologies that have been independently tested and proven to deliver fuel savings.  This accreditation scheme is essential as the sector remains under pressure to reduce fuel use in order to contribute to climate change targets and reduce air pollutants.

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