An ambitious new decarbonisation plan for transport in England

In our mission to address the climate emergency, Energy Saving Trust has worked in partnership with the Department for Transport for almost 20 years, providing support and advice to businesses, local authorities and consumers to help decarbonise our transport systems. Some of the pillars outlined in the new Decarbonisation Plan are central to our work and we deliver programmes to help everyone reduce their carbon emissions from transport.

For example, we are working to promote electrification in transport, supporting fleets on their journey towards electric vehicles, managing the process for on street residential changepoints, and distributing grants for ecargo bikes. We support the freight and bus industries with advice, technical expertise and engagement. We released over 400,000 vouchers through the Fix Your Bike scheme, which is encouraging hundreds of thousands of people to get their bikes repaired and back on the road.

Transport is vital to people’s lives. Although we have travelled less in the past year due to national lockdowns, we’ve had more goods delivered to our homes through online shopping and many of us may be eager to get back on the road and in the air. Transport ensures we have personal freedom to live, work and play wherever we want to, but at the same time, it impacts our health, causes local air pollution, and contributes to the climate emergency.

The Covid-19 pandemic has shown us a different way of living that supports local businesses and encourages walking and cycling to school or the shops. We’ve discovered that long distance travel isn’t always necessary, with business trips rejected in favour of virtual meetings with colleagues around the world. The 20-minute neighbourhood concept has become increasingly attractive, with workplaces, shops and schools accessible on foot or wheels within just 20 minutes. It’s important to remember that our lifestyles affect our emissions; how we work or shop determines our impact on the environment, so new ways of living could be the longer term answer.

So, what’s next? The transition to low carbon transport must be fair, allowing everyone to enjoy the benefits of travelling sustainably, regardless of where you live or how much you earn. This transition will need to include the electrification of transport, more active travel, consolidation of freight, shared mobility and new technologies.

At Energy Saving Trust, we are optimistic and determined to continue to deliver net zero. Through our key partnerships with government, businesses and consumers, we believe there is collective motivation to reach the UK’s net zero emissions target by 2050. We truly welcome the publication of the Department for Transport’s Decarbonisation Plan and will continue to work hard to deliver impactful transport programmes that support the ambitions of the new strategy.