UK announces plan to decarbonize aviation, trucks and rail

The UK government said on Wednesday it wanted to create a net zero transport sector by 2050, as it appeared ready to release details of a long-awaited decarbonization plan later today.

According to a government press release – the full report had not been made available Wednesday at lunchtime – a key part of the roadmap is a target to “phase out the sale of new heavy goods vehicles ( heavy goods vehicles) diesel and gasoline) in 2040. “

If achieved, this ambition – which is subject to consultation – would complement previously announced plans by the government to stop the sale of new diesel and gasoline cars and vans by 2030 and would require, from 2035, that all new cars and vans have no tailpipe emissions.

Among other things, authorities are also aiming for a net zero rail network by the middle of this century and want net zero emissions from aviation by 2050.

The shift to a zero-emission transport sector, the UK’s largest emitter of greenhouse gases, will require significant investments in areas such as charging infrastructure and the development of new systems and technologies.

In a written statement to the UK Parliament, Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said: “The plan released today is truly ambitious – technically and achievable – for all areas of transport and notes that decarbonization will be based, in part, on future transport technologies, coupled with the necessary behavioral and societal changes. “

Among those who reacted to the plan was Helen Clarkson, CEO of international nonprofit The Climate Group. “There is no world in which transport decarbonization happens overnight,” she said, “so we expect more clarity from the government on the timelines for these plans and encourage them to look at beyond ambition to take action “.

Industry responds

Wednesday’s announcement drew a mixed response from a wide range of stakeholders within the industry. Elizabeth de Jong, policy director of Logistics UK, said the government’s plan “would help provide logistics companies with confidence and clarity on the steps they need to take on the road to net zero.”

“The consultation on the proposed phase-out dates for new heavy-duty diesel vehicles should allow companies to move forward with confidence,” she added.

Elsewhere, the Road Haulage Association said that while it supported decarbonizing trucks, the government’s plan was “speculative, potentially damaging to business, and lacking in detail.”

Richard Burnett, the managing director of the RHA, said the proposal as it stood was “unrealistic”.

“These alternative heavyweights don’t exist yet – we don’t know when they will be and how much they will cost,” he said. “It’s also not clear what a transition will look like – that’s the blue sky’s aspiration,” he added.