Roadmap sets out urgent actions to deliver net zero transport

Zemo Partnership has published a Delivery Roadmap for Net Zero Transport which sets out the interventions required across key policy areas to enable the transition to zero emission transport.

The Roadmap is the culmination of well over a year of consultation with the widest range of stakeholders in road transport’s decarbonisation transition.

The Roadmap takes an economy-wide, whole-systems approach to making net zero transport happen, encompassing policies on upgrading the electricity grid, enhancing the UK’s skills base and opening up green finance.

The commitment to increase the UK’s target for greenhouse gas emissions reductions to 81% by 2035 (vs 1990 levels) is ambitious but currently unmatched by the domestic policies necessary to achieve the target.

This enhanced target demands even greater urgency in delivering emissions reductions from road transport. The sector will need to be virtually carbon free by 2050.

New policies to address the barriers to rapid transport decarbonisation are required. The Roadmap points to the areas where these policy interventions are most urgently needed. These include measures to:

Accelerate the rollout of electric vehicles by working with the private sector to identify how many and what types of chargers are needed and where, and ensure fairness in VAT rates for charging.  

Decarbonise the existing fleet with a package of measures to boost production and demand for low carbon fuels.

Encourage low carbon travel choices by providing greater support and information on walking, cycling, public transport, car clubs and lift sharing.

Direct policy and funding to close skills gaps and speed up reskilling and upskilling by reforming the Apprenticeship Levy and introducing a new skills passport.

Unlock green finance by improving lenders’ perceptions of risk and facilitating the use of lower risk financing options
 
The Council for Net Zero Transport, established by Zemo Partnership last June, provides independent strategic guidance to Zemo and complements the work of Partnership members.

Council for Net Zero Transport Chair, the Rt Hon Lord Deben said: “Addressing transport emissions is a critical part of tackling the existential threat of climate change.”

“The transport transition is a multi-faceted and complex challenge which is why we need to bring people with the widest range of perspectives together and to harness the power of key organisations with the agency and resources to deliver the necessary changes.”

“The publication of this Roadmap is a necessary step in defining a vision around which we can coalesce and move forward.”

Zemo’s Managing Director, Claire Haigh, said: “Policy changes and uncertainty are damaging and will slow down the transition. We need to coalesce around a shared vision of the future and, together, agree the finer details of policies to avoid future, unhelpful turbulence.

“The publication of the Delivery Roadmap for Net Zero Transport is a key staging post in a process that has brought together so many experts who are amongst our membership.

“This is not an end-point, but a key reference on which we will build; to develop the finer details of the policies necessary to accelerate transport’s transition.”

The Delivery Roadmap for Net Zero Transport builds on the publication of a report offering guidance to the new Government, which set seven key principles to inform policy on delivering net zero transport.