North Yorkshire residents are being urged to have their say on targets to cut carbon emissions from road and rail vehicles in the wider region to almost zero by 2045.
The North of England Decarbonisation Strategy aims to slash greenhouse gas emissions by tackling surface transport, which covers people and goods moved by cars, vans, lorries, buses and trains.
‘Net zero’ means a state in which greenhouse gas emissions are at the lowest possible rates combined with policies to mitigate the remaining emissions, such as planting trees.
Transport for the North (TfN), a sub-national transport body, estimated that in 2018 the region saw 26 million tonnes of CO2 emissions from surface transport, which represented almost a quarter of the UK’s total road emissions.
Its consultation document includes four future travel scenarios to suggest how emissions may change depending on how much action is taken.
Proposed measures include phasing out petrol, diesel and hybrid car and vans by 2030, and boosting sales of zero-emission vehicles by 2025.
TfN also wants to encourage higher use of public transport and reduce private car travel, to decarbonise the rail network and suggests authorities could consider introducing clean air zones or congestion changes.
Other suggestions include cycle and e-scooter hire schemes, low-traffic neighbourhoods, and prioritising planning developments close to existing transport hubs to create ’15/20-minute neighbourhoods’
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Harrogate-based councillor Don Mackenzie, the executive member for access at North Yorkshire County Council, said:
“The county council fully supports TfN’s proposed Decarbonisation Strategy. Our county is the largest in the country and residents often have to travel long distances just to reach destinations within North Yorkshire.
“That is why we support improvements in public transport whenever we can to offer alternatives to the private car. We also continue to expand opportunities for safe sustainable travel, and to invest in the county’s digital infrastructure to improve broadband and mobile phone reception.”
The Climate Change Act (2019) commits the UK government to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by at least 100% of 1990 levels by 2050.
This law is linked to 2015’s ‘Paris Agreement’, which aims to limit the global average temperature increase to no more than 2°C above pre-industrial levels, and try to limit the rise to 1.5°C.
To find out more and respond to the consultation visit transportforthenorth.com/decarbonisation. The consultation opens today and closes at noon on August 31 2021.
Tim Wood, interim chief executive at TfN, said:
“We urge everyone in North Yorkshire to get involved in this vital work and provide their views to the consultation, helping to shape future transport networks that are not only efficient and reliable, but are sustainable too.”
