The Government launches a pioneering plan to decarbonise transport to create cleaner, quieter cities and communities to improve the quality of life and improve the way people and goods move while rebuilding greener. The plan includes consultation on the world-leading pledge to end the sale of all polluting new vehicles by 2040 and net-zero aviation emissions by 2050 charging of smart electric vehicles that can reduce energy bills, and a commitment to run the government’s fleet of cars and trucks entirely electric by 2027, highlighting ambition to tackle emissions
Cleaner air, healthier communities and tens of thousands of new green jobs are set to become a reality thanks to the UK’s revolutionary plan to decarbonise transport, Transport Secretary Grant Shapps announced today (14 July 2021).
With just a few months to go until the major climate summit COP26, the plan provides a world-leading “green blueprint” for reducing emissions from our seas, skies, roads and railways, setting a credible path for the entire transport sector to reach net zero by 2050.
Clean transport will create and support highly skilled jobs, with zero-emission road vehicles alone having the potential to support tens of thousands of jobs worth £9.7 billion in GVA by 2050. It will also ensure the air we breathe is cleaner in our communities and reduce the time we spend in traffic.
As part of this vision, the Government today announced its intention to phase out the sale of new diesel and petrol heavy vehicles by 2040, subject to consultation – and together with a 2035 phase-out date for polluting cars and lorries, this represents a world-leading pledge to phase out All polluting vehicles on the roads within the next two decades. The consultation proposes a phase-out date of 2035 for vehicles weighing between 3.5 and 26 tonnes and 2040 for vehicles weighing more than 26 tonnes – or earlier if a rapid transition seems possible.
Already committing billions of pounds of investment, including £2bn in cycling and walking and £2.8bn to support industry and motorists to switch to cleaner vehicles, the Transport Decarbonisation Plan also sets out how the government will improve public transport and increase support for active travel to make it the natural first choice for everyone who can use it – creating a net-zero rail network by 2050, ensuring net-zero domestic aviation emissions by 2040 and leading the shift to green freight.
Launching a plan to decarbonize the transportation sector
Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said:
Transport is not just a way to get around. It is something that fundamentally shapes our towns, cities and countryside, our living standards and our health. And it can shape all of these things for better or worse. Decarbonisation is not just a technocratic process. It is about how to make sure transport shapes quality of life and the economy in good ways.
It’s not about stopping people from doing certain things: it’s about doing the same things in a different way. We will continue to fly on holidays, but in more efficient aircraft, using sustainable fuel. We will continue to drive, but increasingly in zero-emission cars.
The Transport Decarbonization Plan is just the beginning – and we will need continued effort and collaboration to achieve its ambitious commitments, which will ultimately create sustainable economic growth through healthier communities as we build greener ones.
Elizabeth de Jong, Policy Director at Logistics UK, said:
The transport sector decarbonisation plan will help provide logistics companies with confidence and clarity on the steps they must take on the way to net zero. Consultation on the proposed phase-out dates for new heavy diesel vehicles will enable businesses to move forward with confidence. Rail, shipping and aviation are all essential parts of logistics, so plans to support the transformation of shipping modes and develop technologies to reduce emissions across these modes are welcome.
With logistics already embracing the need to decarbonise its operations, Logistics UK looks forward to working in partnership with the Government on future actions and strategies to achieve the net zero ambition together.
Sandy Parsonage, Director of Supply Chain and Logistics at Sainsbury’s, the main sponsor of COP26, said:
We welcome the government’s ambition and look forward to participating in the consultation. We are already working across our supply chain to explore alternative fuels and develop a carbon-neutral fleet for the future. At the same time, we are investing to reduce emissions across our existing fleet. This ambition will accelerate efforts to develop the technologies the UK needs to achieve net zero.
The commitment comes as the Government publishes a Green Paper setting out a regulatory framework that will require vehicle manufacturers to improve the fuel efficiency of new cars, vans and heavy vehicles, enabling the country to meet ambitious phase-out dates while creating new jobs for the automotive sector and providing certainty for drivers. This includes consultation on the possible introduction of a new phased industry mandate for zero-emission vehicles.
Today the Government is also publishing its 2035 Delivery Plan, which brings together all measures to decarbonise cars and vans, from across government, in one document. It sets out the key timelines and milestones and how progress towards the commitment to mass ownership of zero-emission cars and vans will be monitored.
This follows recent investment from Nissan to produce its next-generation electric vehicle in Sunderland, alongside Envision’s new Gigafactory, as well as Stellantis’ investment in Vauxhall’s Ellesmere Port manufacturing plant to transform the site into a new era of electric vehicle manufacturing.
Aviation plays a vital role in tackling climate change, which is why the Government is also today launching the Jet zero consultation, which commits the sector to the target of achieving net zero emissions by 2050 and sets out an action plan for how to achieve this – ensuring everyone can continue to travel for holidays and family visits. And work without contributing to climate change.
As the UK aviation industry is already leading the way in seeking to reduce emissions from flights, the consultation proposes an early target for UK domestic aviation to reach net zero by 2040, as well as for all airport operations in England to be net zero by 2040. .
Emma Gilthorpe, Director of Operations at Heathrow Airport and Chief Executive of Jet Zero Council, said:
I welcome the Government’s leadership in committing to a net-zero aviation target by 2050 and recognising that the aviation industry is committed to achieving this target too. We look forward to working with the Government to translate this ambition into action and deliver a future where people can continue to enjoy the benefits of air travel – without worrying about its impact on the environment.
Greg Archer, UK Transport and Environment Group Director for the Green Transport Campaign Europe, said:
This plan represents a milestone in the transition to a more sustainable transport system in the UK. The decision to use only zero-emission road vehicles – including lorries – by 2050 is world-leading and will significantly reduce Britain’s climate impact and improve the air we breathe. This complements the UK’s net-zero domestic flights target by 2040, although more needs to be done to tackle international aviation emissions.
To ensure the UK meets its climate targets, the government will need to turn the raft of new proposals into measures that rapidly change how people and goods move. More difficult decisions will be needed to reduce vehicle and aviation use and reallocate spending toward green transportation options, but this plan signals a commendable and tangible shift in the right direction.
Graeme Cooper, head of future markets at National Grid, said:
This is the first zero-emission transport mandate for a major economy, and represents a great opportunity ahead of COP26 to demonstrate the UK’s commitment to clean transport and clean air. The Government has already committed significant investment in electric vehicle charging infrastructure, and today’s announcement will be a further boost, giving the industry and consumers clarity and confidence for the way forward, not just for cars but for other forms of transport too, including heavy goods vehicles.
BVRLA CEO Jerry Kenny said:
We welcome the publication of these plans, which provide a clearer picture of where we are and where we need to be on the path to net zero emissions. BVRLA members will play a vital role in this journey, enabling millions of individuals and businesses to embrace zero-emission road transport and switch to more sustainable forms of mobility. There will be many important milestones along the way and we will continue to work with the government and other stakeholders to achieve them.
And the government today also:
Announcing the target date for the entire central government fleet of 40,000 cars and trucks to be completely zero-emission by 2027, 3 years earlier than previously planned. Publish the government’s response to the Smart Charging for Electric Vehicles consultation, and commit to bringing in legislation later this year to ensure all new private electric vehicle charging points meet smart charging standards, which could save consumers money on their energy bills. Publish a Railway Environment Policy Statement, which will set direction for the railway industry on environmental issues such as decarbonisation of traction, air quality, decarbonisation of railway estate, biodiversity and waste.
