Disclaimer: The views expressed in this blog belong to the authors and are not necessarily representative of DecarboN8, or any other organisation, employer or company.
Stantec and DecarboN8 announce new research programme: Bridging the Gap
Stantec and DecarboN8 have announced a new research programme about people and place: the missing piece of the surface transport decarbonisation agenda. Since the publication of ‘Decarbonising Transport’, research has been published suggesting that current plans will fall short of the UK’s legally binding carbon reduction targets, and that greater emphasis will be needed on … Read more
Behaviour change or system change? How climate action is getting fudged
by Noel Cass Dr. Noel Cass, Research Fellow in Energy Demand Behaviour at University of Leeds ITS, shares his insights on the eternal debate about who should take responsibility for reducing the carbon emissions that cause climate change and about how policy influences the choices we make. Carbon footprints ‘Carbon footprints were invented by fossil … Read more
How can e-cargo bikes decarbonise urban freight?
by Dr Luke Blazejewski and Dr Graeme Sherriff Project summary Funded by the DecarboN8, this study aimed to understand the potential of e-cargo bikes in the transition to low carbon cities. Through interviews and focus groups with people involved with and interested in e-cargo bikes, we investigated the current and potential uptake of this technology across different … Read more
New Research Reveals the Hidden Cost of Transport Infrastructure
[Press Release: 24 February 2022] New research from DecarboN8 shows that transport’s carbon problem stems not only from tailpipe emissions but also from the construction, maintenance and operation of roads and railways themselves. All transport infrastructure generates carbon emissions in its construction, maintenance and operation. This hidden carbon cost, known as embodied emissions, can be … Read more
How E-bikes can help drastically reduce carbon emissions
New publication: ‘E-bikes and their capability to reduce car CO2 emissions’ Authors: Ian Philips, Jillian Anable, Tim Chatterton In July 2020 the UK government published Gear Change, their strategy to promote active travel. This document mentions establishing a national e-bike support programme. Since then e-bike schemes have been introduced in a variety of locations. These … Read more
Better, Fairer, Cleaner – The Transport Decarbonisation Plan v2.0
by Greg Marsden This is the imaginary foreword to a Transport Decarbonisation Plan which addresses how we really get to zero emissions in a hurry. It is written in the style of a White Paper foreword. Where possible it builds on existing commitments in the July TDP There is a climate emergency Transport is the … Read more
Real zero in a hurry: a UK transport policy maker’s guide to climate action
by Greg Marsden and Richard Walker This post originally appeared on Policy Leeds Previously in this blog series for COP26, Paul Chatterton laid down the challenge for urban policy makers to “act like it’s an emergency” in their response to the IPCC’s call for “immediate, rapid and large-scale reductions in greenhouse gas emissions”. Here Richard Walker … Read more
Feeling the climate emergency: what Covid has taught us about facing up to necessity
by Richard Walker This post originally appeared on Policy Leeds “It’s a chilling moment” — Richard Walker, on secondment from the Department for Transport to the University of Leeds, speaks of his personal realisation of the scale and speed of change needed to keep to our Paris climate commitments. Here he reflects on what we … Read more
Life course and changing travel patterns
by Greg Marsden Drive Less? Who? Me? As local and national transport authorities work through the task of what decarbonising transport in line with the UK’s commitments really means we come to one inescapable truth. It means travelling less by car. Transport Scotland has written it down as a 20% reduction in kilometres travelled by … Read more
Decarbonisation Island Discs: a playlist critique of the Transport Decarbonisation Plan
by Greg Marsden I was really pleased to see the Transport Decarbonisation Plan released on Wednesday 14th July. In 2008 the UK government set out an 80% commitment to CO2 reduction with no plan for transport. The result – no change in emissions. There are of course shortcomings and key questions which are unresolved (how … Read more