Path to zero carbon emissions
We have investigated how transport in the East of England contributes to overall carbon emissions and identified a path to reach the Government’s policy target of achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2050.
The Decarbonisation Report finds transport caused 41 per cent of carbon emissions across the region in 2018; 96 per cent of which were from road vehicles. This is two thirds more than the national average of 28 per cent of emissions from transport.
People commuting is the largest contributor to road transport emissions in the region. Our role as a UK gateway through our ports and airports means freight is also an important area to tackle.
The report sets out short, medium, and long-term actions for how we can reduce carbon emissions on our transport network including:
- additional and more focused investment in public transport, walking and cycling to encourage people to drive less
- a plan to transition from diesel to cleaner fuels, including electric vehicles
- developing a clean energy cluster combining energy, transport, technology and R&D to drive long-term decarbonisation
We will be using the evidence and suggested solutions from this report to feed into the development of our Transport Strategy.