A high speed train

New government to be supported by new council

A new Council for Net Zero Transport has been established to support the next government to achieve further decarbonisation of transport.

The council has been set up by Zemo Partnership, which has spent more than 20 years providing independent guidance to both government and industry around the net zero policy, as well as initiatives that will be required along the journey of transport decarbonisation. Whilst the council will give the government strategic oversight and direction for the policy, the partnership itself will collaborate with more than 200 member organisations to develop a roadmap for the overall delivery of net zero transport.

By approaching net zero this way, it is hoped that whoever comes into government in July will be provided with a coherent, consensus-based plan on how future policy can be guided across all tiers of government.

Council net zero transport quote lord deben

Lord Deben, Chair of the Council, said:

“The recent High Court decision that the Carbon Budget Delivery Plan was unlawful underlines the scale of the challenge that will be facing the next government. Progress on net zero has stalled. In some areas, we’ve gone backwards.

“Transport is one of the most challenging and complex sectors of the UK economy to decarbonise. It is also responsible for around a quarter of the country’s greenhouse gas emissions.

“This new council brings together very experienced people in key positions and with the widest range of perspectives to help us forge an evidence-based, multi-stakeholder consensus on how we can maximise the benefits from this essential – and inevitable – transition.”

Bringing a mixture of public and private sector leaders, some of the confirmed members of the council include:

  • The Rt Hon Lord Deben
  • Professor Jillian Anable – Chair in Transport and Energy, University of Leeds Institute for Transport Studies
  • Martin Tugwell – CEO, Transport for the North
  • Anne Shaw OBE – Executive Director, Transport for the West Midlands
  • TBC – Chair, Local Infrastructure and Net Zero Board, Local Government Association

CEO of Transport for West Midlands, Anne Shaw OBE, added:

“There is no lack of ambition among the transport sector to move towards a greener future – indeed in the West Midlands, we are taking great strides towards our target of a net zero carbon region within two decades.

“Our Local Transport Plan is based on the principle of decarbonizing our transport and encouraging people to shift from private car journeys to public transport or active travel. We have hundreds of electric buses, more miles of tram lines, bus lanes and cycle routes delivered or under development.

“But we know this may not be enough and we will need government to get behind us, that is why we (are) joining the Council for Net Zero Transport, pooling our expertise to overcome shared challenges and advise the government so action can be targeted to where it will make the most difference and help us transition towards a net zero future.”

 

Image credit: iStock

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