Major environmental concerns have been in the news twice over the past week, with the most high-profile being the major fires that are occurring in the Amazon. Social media has been ablaze (pardon the pun) at the lack of media coverage in comparison to the fire at Notre Dame a few months ago.
However, perhaps less high profile but still important, in the political world the Science and Technology Committee released its report into Clean Growth: Technologies for Meeting the UK’s Emissions Reduction Targets, which could have radical consequences for the future of the transport industry.
The committee has brought forwards some radical suggestions to help decarbonise the transport sector, the largest-emitting sector in the UK economy. The committee made it clear that the government must do more to speed up the adoption of Electric Vehicles (EV’s). The Committee recommends that the government not only increases the financial incentives for consumers to purchase EV’s but also bring forward the ban on the sale of new cars and vans that are both hybrid and those with the internal combustion engine.
What will be tough for all of us is the fundamental belief underlying the Committee’s, and potentially government policy, that private car ownership is not compatible with significant decarbonisation. For most of us that will take a major altering of mindset and will require a clear programme of incentivisation to encourage use the public transport network.
It remains the case that climate change, and therefore the need to drastically reduce emissions whilst ensuring continued economic prosperity, will be one of the great challenges over the next decade and one the government of today and tomorrow will need to act upon. The question remains what this will mean for the transport sector and how they tackle a changing environment for their business.
At JBP, we have insight into the upcoming plans around clean growth and the future of mobility and have worked with some of the global leaders in the transport sector. If you want to know more about how we can help your business in an increasingly evolving sector get in contact.