UK Unveils Transport Decarbonization Plan Ahead Of COP26 Climate Summit

The sale of new diesel and gasoline heavy goods vehicles will be phased out by 2040 in the UK as part of an ambitious transport decarbonization plan unveiled on Wednesday by the government

LONDON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 14th July, 2021) The sale of new diesel and gasoline heavy goods vehicles will be phased out by 2040 in the UK as part of an ambitious transport decarbonization plan unveiled on Wednesday by the government.

"Transport is not just how you get around. It is something that fundamentally shapes our towns, our cities, our countryside, our living standards, our health, and our whole quality of life," transport minister Grant Shapps said in a written statement to parliament.

According to Shapps, transport is the largest contributor to UK greenhouse gas emissions, with road transport alone accounting for almost a quarter of the country's total emissions in 2019.

He claimed, however, that the decarbonization plan, which will also set out commitments for the UK aviation and maritime sector to establish a course to zero emissions, is not aimed at preventing people from doing things, but doing them "differently."

"We will still fly on holiday, but in more efficient aircraft, using sustainable fuel. We will still drive on improved roads, but increasingly in zero emission cars. We will still have new development, but it won't force us into high-carbon lifestyles," Shapps said.

The Road Haulage Association (RHA) reacted immediately to the government's announcement, claiming that although they support the goal of reducing pollution from trucks, the decarbonization plan was "unrealistic" and potentially damaging for business.

"This proposal as it stands is unrealistic," RHA chief executive Richard Burnett, said in a statement, stressing that alternative heavy goods vehicle do not yet exist and no one knew how much they would cost.

"We support investment in vehicles to deliver Net Zero, but it requires coherent, affordable and inclusive market-driven policies," Burnett added.

Under the post-Brexit "green industrial revolution" announced by Prime Minister Boris Johnson last year, the UK, which will be hosting the UN Climate Change Conference (COP26) summit in Glasgow in November, will also ban the sale of new gasoline and diesel cars by 2030 and boost the production of offshore wind, hydrogen and nuclear energy.

In June, the UK independent Climate Change Committee warned, however, that the government had been too slow in delivering its "historic" promises to tackle climate change and is risking losing face before the rest of the world at the climate summit.

The UK has pledged to slash greenhouse gas emissions by 78% by 2035 and reach net zero by 2050.