A new report argues that the UK government’s upcoming plan to decarbonise transport must focus on improving the quality of life for people in order to cater for all – and this cannot be achieved by switching to electric vehicles alone.
The think tank IPPR analysis of the Committee on Climate Change’s sixth carbon budget shows that current approaches to achieving net zero without additional measures could lead to an 11 percent increase in car traffic between 2021 and 2050.
By 2050, car ownership could increase by 28 percent and 10 million more cars could be on the road. There are serious questions about the resources it will take to build these 43.6 million vehicles.
Even more land and street areas would have to be used for car parking spaces. The average car in the UK is parked 96 percent of the time.
An approach that emphasizes the switch to electric vehicles too much without also adequately supporting alternatives such as affordable public transport, walking and cycling, would probably also benefit wealthier people.
Over 90 percent of households with the highest income own at least one car (and over 20 percent own three or more), while only a third of households in the lowest income 10 percent own a car. People with lower incomes would benefit much more from an improved public transport system, according to IPPR.
The think tank says the pursuit of net zero is a once in a lifetime opportunity to improve the way we all travel.
The report outlines a vision for the future of far more affordable, cleaner transportation options that will improve people’s health and wellbeing while providing a better environment for nature and access to an electric vehicle for those who need it.
They say the government should create a national guarantee of traffic levels and digital connectivity with the stated goal of making a good life possible anywhere without having to own a car. This must include:
There should be public transport connections for all rural areas seven days a week and the principle that daily needs can be reached within 20 minutes on foot, by bike or by public transport.
This requires investments in public transport as well as in the revitalization of the town centers. The investment in walking and cycling during this Parliament should be at least £ 6 billion.
The government should introduce a “Relocation Aid” to provide grants and loans to help people buy bicycles, electric scooters, e-bikes or electric vehicles where they need them and ensure fair access to electric cars when and, if needed, with a national rollout for electric vehicle charging.
All public procurement of CO2-emitting vehicles should be stopped by 2022 and the internal combustion vehicle purchase ban for large commercial fleets should be brought forward to 2025 to ensure that companies take action to decarbonise their fleets.
Reallocation of street space in bicycle, pedestrian and green spaces. Cities and inner cities should be car-free by 2030.
Municipal planners should set a target of at least 30 percent tree cover for new developments and be able to prevent new developments that would increase traffic or car dependency.
Luke Murphy, head of the IPPR Environmental Justice Commission, said:
“The urgency of the climate crisis cannot be emphasized enough. However, little progress has been made in reducing transport-related emissions over the past three decades. This urgent need for action provides a unique opportunity to develop a new approach to travel for all of us.
“The government’s current preferred strategy has an overwhelming focus on the move to electric vehicles. While such an approach is superficially attractive because of its continuity offerings, it will be of no use to humans or the planet.
“We need to massively expand the availability and affordability of clean public transport such as trains, buses and trams, while helping more people to walk and cycle regularly and switch to electric vehicles for those who need them.”
