Reactions to Committee for Climate Change report

Transport must be major focus of Net Zero plans says Campaign for Better Transport in response to latest CCC report

Responding to the Climate Change Committee's (CCC) latest assessment that only a third of the emissions reductions required to achieve the country's 2030 interim Net Zero target are currently covered by credible plans, Silviya Barrett from Campaign for Better Transport said:

“Transport is still the biggest emitter of carbon emissions in the UK so needs to be a major focus of any Net Zero plans. To help reduce emissions from transport, we need to be investing more in public transport and active travel and setting targets to increase their use. The previous Government's decision to cancel HS2's Northern leg and redistribute of almost a third of the money to road building must now be re-examined as a matter of urgency. For the sake of current and future generations, the Government must consider the best way to expand rail capacity and improve connectivity to help reduce emissions from road transport, including reviving all or parts of the abandoned HS2 sections.”

The CCC assessment comes just days after Campaign for Better Transport released its HS2: what next? policy paper and set out its ‘high five' transport priorities for Keir Starmer's new Government.

Amongst other things, the charity called for a ‘modal shift' target to increase the share of journeys taken by public transport and active travel, supported by more investment in public transport and an end to domestic aviation tax cuts and exemptions.

Campaign for Better Transport's ‘high five' transport priorities:

1. Introduce targets to increase use of public transport and active travel
2. Reform rail fares
3. Commit to long-term funding for buses
4. Reverse the cut to domestic Air Passenger Duty, tax domestic aviation fuel and introduce a domestic flight reduction target
5. Replace current vehicle taxation with a pay-as-you-drive scheme.

CCC reaction: Labour government has a long way to go, but is acting quickly, says IPPR 

Reacting to the new report from the UK Climate Change Committee (CCC) Joshua Emden, senior research fellow at IPPR, said: 

“The report today confirms the previous government's failures mean we are falling behind on our climate targets. The good news is the new government is acting quickly to course-correct with absolute no-brainer announcements like lifting the onshore wind ban and approving new solar farms.

“There is a long way to go but, most importantly, the new government recognises all the evidence showing decarbonisation is one of the best ways to lower energy bills, improve energy security and create jobs, rather than misinforming the public about the costs and using it as a spurious pretext for delaying urgent action.”