At the end of a year of study, debate and events, the CILT’s Public Policies Committee has published a year-end report summarising its work on Routes to Net Zero 2050 and looking forward to the work to be done in 2021.

The government and many others published some key documents in 2020 indicating the way forward, notably the Prime Minister’s Ten Point Plan for a Green Industrial Revolution, and we expect this to continue in 2021, in particular a Transport Decarbonisation Plan. Transport accounts for 28% of UK carbon emissions and, despite the downturn caused by the coronavirus pandemic, transport emissions will grow with recovery unless action is taken.

The year-end report includes 21 recommendations for action covering all transport modes and activities. Government is clearly the key player, but industry, organisations and individuals are also urged to take action.

Recommendations for government include:

• Taking an international leadership role in 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) and the G7
• Setting carbon budgets for the transport sector
• Mandating the use of sustainable fuel
• Continuing to incentivise the take-up of electric vehicles through grants and incentives
• Setting a clear, long-term policy that taxation will be aligned to decarbonisation, resource efficiency and levelling up, including the replacement of fuel duty and vehicle tax by road pricing, and a review of Air Passenger Duty

Local government is recommended to play its part by implementing policies in ways that suit their circumstances, including:

• Rolling out schemes for electric bikes
• Ensuring new developments include vehicle charging points

Transport providers should implement decarbonisation schemes, some of which will require either direct government funding, support, or collaboration with industry, such as:

• Home delivery providers should move to all-electric fleets by 2030
• A rolling programme of rail electrification to enable the end of diesel-only traction by 2040
• A trial of electric aircraft on short domestic routes
• Campaigning to persuade people of the benefits of public transport

Industry and academia are the key players in research and development, and CILT’s recommendations for them are:

• Continue to develop innovative transport decarbonisation technologies, ranging from apps to massive industrial projects to produce hydrogen and sustainable fuels, and to remove greenhouse gases
• Ensuring that sufficient, affordable green electricity is available when and where it is needed

Finally, CILT members must play a key role in transport decarbonisation, not just by participating in the work, but also by spreading the message that transport can achieve net zero by 2050 by a range of measures, some technological, some societal and some through policies.

Paul Le Blond,
Chair, Aviation Policy Group,
CILT.