Towards a Zero Carbon Vision for UK Transport
Research Report
Towards a Zero Carbon Vision for UK Transport
John Whitelegg
Gary Haq
Howard Cambridge
Harry Vallack
Copyright Date: Jan. 1, 2010
Published by: Stockholm Environment Institute
Pages: 68
OPEN ACCESS
https://www.jstor.org/stable/resrep00495
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  1. Front Matter
    Front Matter (pp. i-ii)
  2. Table of Contents
    Table of Contents (pp. iii-iii)
  3. LIST OF TABLES, FIGURES AND BOXES
    LIST OF TABLES, FIGURES AND BOXES (pp. iv-v)
  4. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
    ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS (pp. v-v)
  5. LIST OF ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS
    LIST OF ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS (pp. vi-vi)
  6. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
    EXECUTIVE SUMMARY (pp. vii-x)
  7. 1 INTRODUCTION
    1 INTRODUCTION (pp. 1-2)

    Warming of the climate system is unequivocal, as is now evident from observations of increases in global average air and ocean temperatures, widespread melting of snow and ice and rising global average sea level (IPPC, 2007). The dominant factor in the warming of climate in the industrial era is the increasing concentration of various greenhouse gases (GHG) in the atmosphere (Soloman et al., 2007). Several of the major GHG, including carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O) occur naturally. However, current concentrations of atmospheric CO2 and CH4 far exceed pre-industrial values found in Polar ice-core records of atmospheric...

  8. 2 A VISION OF A ZERO CARBON TRANSPORT FUTURE
    2 A VISION OF A ZERO CARBON TRANSPORT FUTURE (pp. 3-6)

    Visioning desirable futures has been examined in studies such as The Great Transitions (Raskin et al., 2002), which envisions sustainable and desirable futures emerging from new values, a revised model of development and the active engagement of civil society. Also, the OECD’s Environmentally Sustainable Transport (EST) project examines how desirable futures can be attained. It demonstrates what strategies might look like to achieve EST, as well as considering their economic, environmental and social impacts. The present study provides a vision of a desirable future for one important sector of the economy. It provides an examination of how we might deliver...

  9. 3 BUSINESS-AS-USUAL SCENARIO
    3 BUSINESS-AS-USUAL SCENARIO (pp. 7-16)

    In line with other major scenario exercises the BAU Scenario can be seen as an estimate of a particular end-state in a chosen year based on the continuation of present trends and policies. The World Business Council on Sustainable Development (WBCSD) (2004) defines BAU as the continuation of present trends which implies:

    “mainstream” projects of economic and population growth are realised;

    the general trajectory of technological development and its incorporation into transportation systems and services continues much as it has over the past several decades; and

    policies currently in place continue to be implemented but no major new initiatives are...

  10. 4 MAXIMUM IMPACT SCENARIO
    4 MAXIMUM IMPACT SCENARIO (pp. 17-39)

    The Maximum Impact (MI) Scenario outlines different policy pathways that will move the UK towards achieving a zero carbon transport system by 2050. There are three precursors to the MI Scenario:

    the OECD Environmentally Sustainable Transport (EST) study (OECD, 2002);

    the Visioning and Backcasting for UK Transport Policy (VIBAT) (Hickman and Banister, 2007);

    the Campaign for Better Transport study on A Low Carbon Transport Policy for the UK (Buchan, 2008).

    The OECD’s EST study used a backcasting exercise to define a desirable future for transport that looked beyond just CO2 emissions. It demonstrated the feasibility of reductions in transport activity...

  11. 5 LIFE IN A ZERO CARBON TRANSPORT BRITAIN
    5 LIFE IN A ZERO CARBON TRANSPORT BRITAIN (pp. 40-44)

    In addition to reducing GHG emissions, moving towards a zero carbon transport system will lead to a number of social, environmental and economic benefits. These co-benefits will improve the quality of life for social groups of widely differing lifestyles and transport needs. The measures outlined in the MI Scenario will deliver the transition towards a zero carbon transport system which in turn, will produce knock-on beneficial effects in the following key areas:

    environmental quality;

    social exclusion and mobility;

    accessibility

    Motor vehicles are an important source of nitrogen oxide and particulate matter (PM) pollutant emissions. Nitrogen oxides are acidic gases and...

  12. 6 POLICY PATHWAYS
    6 POLICY PATHWAYS (pp. 45-49)

    In this Chapter, the policy changes and pathways that need to be introduced into the UK to deliver the carbon reductions reported for road, rail, shipping and aviation will be examined. These will be described and located within a delivery timetable so that all the measures and interventions work synergistically to move towards the desirable future of a zero carbon transport system in 2050. Before examining the policy components in more detail we first of all discuss the rebound effect.

    A rebound effect takes place when an environmental policy designed to reduce fossil fuel consumption (for example) produces an effect...

  13. REFERENCES
    REFERENCES (pp. 50-55)
  14. Back Matter
    Back Matter (pp. 56-56)