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Tackling the Environmental Impact of Transport

Tackling the Environmental Impact of Transport. Presentation by David Jamieson MP to the Institute for Public Policy Research Wednesday 15th October 2003. Current situation in the UK. Climate change - a long-term challenge for Government

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Tackling the Environmental Impact of Transport

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  1. Tackling the Environmental Impact of Transport Presentation by David Jamieson MP to the Institute for Public Policy Research Wednesday 15th October 2003

  2. Current situation in the UK • Climate change - a long-term challenge for Government • Transport: - is a major source of local air pollution and noise - produces 20% of the UK’s Carbon Dioxide emissions • one and a half million more people are working over the last 5 years • increasing demand for travel puts more pressure on transport system

  3. 10 Year Plan for Transport • Government has a balanced approach to investment in different transport modes. • Transport objectives are to: • tackle congestion • improve reliability • make journeys safer • and meet social and environmental obligations • Not enough time to judge 10 Year Plan but there is progress • Total bus passenger numbers rising after years of decline

  4. Transport and the Environment • Government is increasing people’s choice about how they travel • Aim and strategy to: • reduce vehicle emissions • reduce the need to travel, using planning policies • promote alternatives to the car • reduce Strategic Road Network’s environmental impact, e.g. noise, landscapes and biodiversity • reduce traffic’s impact on communities, e.g. noise, disruption and safety

  5. Powering Future Vehicles Strategy • Cross-Government strategy with objectives to: • promote the development and take-up of new vehicle technologies and fuels; and • involve the UK automotive industry • Energy White Paper ‘Our Future - Creating a Low Carbon Economy’ built on this foundation: • Identified major role for EU Voluntary Agreements • Assessing implications of hydrogen and biomass based fuels

  6. Powering Future Vehicles Strategy • First Ministerial Group Annual Report published today • Highlights include: • Low Carbon Vehicle Partnership started • Ultra Low Carbon Car Challenge - results out today • HyTrans demonstration hybrid diesel light goods vehicles • Low Carbon Bus Programme

  7. Low Carbon Vehicle Partnership • Action and advisory body • High-calibre board and over 100 members • Brings together stakeholders to introduce low-carbon vehicles • In its first year: • Four working groups up and running • recommendations on meeting bus target • recommendations for Pre-Budget Report

  8. Taxation measures • CO2 linked Company Car Tax and VED (road tax) • duty incentives for cleaner fuels incl. biofuels and road fuel gases • 20p/litre duty incentive for biodiesel - bioethanol incentive in 2005 • duty incentive for sulphur free fuels from September 2004 • a future duty exemption for hydrogen for a limited period

  9. Action on a European level • ‘Euro’ emission standards over last decade cut particulates and oxides of nitrogen emissions from traffic by 50% • tighter regulatory standards for vehicles entering the market from 2006. • European Voluntary Agreement can reduce average new car CO2 emissions to 140g/km by 2008

  10. Action at a local level • Local solutions to local transport problems • Tens of thousands of local schemes are improving local communities • School Travel Plans produced by schools and local authorities with £50m over the next 2 years to support: • safer routes to school • local speed restrictions • dedicated cycle ways, and • improved public transport provision

  11. Road User Charging • discussion paper "managing our roads" published 9 July 2003 • proposed a wide-ranging feasibility study into the options for road charging • study will assess traffic and economic impacts, protection of privacy and technical feasibility of the various options • given practical issues in implementing a scheme for 26 million cars and vans, would not be possible to introduce a universal scheme before end of the decade • we will continue to look at - and experiment with - a variety of ways to better manage our road network

  12. Conclusion • Transport is a major source of greenhouse gases, air pollution and noise • Government is committed to reducing environmental impacts • Powering Future Vehicles report shows progress but much still to do • Government is taking action by: - encouraging use of clean low-carbon vehicles and fuels - engaging key stakeholders - using planning powers to reduce the need to travel - promoting alternatives to the private car

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