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.
DecarboN8 funds five new research projects
Five fantastic new research projects have been awarded funding via our recent EPSRC DecarboN8 Network Plus seedcorn funding call and sandpit. Applicants worked with partners from different sectors to co-design research projects which responded directly to real-world transport decarbonisation challenges in the North of England, building in local knowledge and resources. We received a large … Read more
Election 2021: How local authorities can decarbonise transport and support a green recovery
Elections took place across the UK on Thursday 6th May. The policies supported by those elected will be key in determining whether the UK delivers on its climate commitments. This is especially true when it comes to transport, as local authorities have considerable influence in shaping the transport options in their communities. Last year we … Read more
Work from home if you can: the carbon impact of reduced commuter journeys in different places in the UK
by Kadambari Lokesh Commuter journeys make up 15% of all journeys in the UK, the second-highest, next to shopping. DecarboN8’s ‘COVID-19 and travel patterns’ research team has published findings on how the Covid-19 travel restrictions effected commuting and carbon emissions in 2020. The study asks: What impact did the COVID-19 “work from home if you … Read more
New video: Will electric cars stop the climate emergency?
To celebrate Earth Day we are launching a short video which asks, ‘Will electric cars stop the climate emergency?’ DecarboN8 researchers recently posted a series of responses to the UK’s ban on the sale of new diesel and petrol cars from 2030, our new video summarises these points in just over 2 minutes and is … Read more
“Is this new road OK? It’s only a bit more carbon…” A guide to carbon budgets and new infrastructure development
By Professor Greg Marsden The choices are simple, it’s the answers that some organisations don’t like. This article is a very short and simple guide to explain the impacts of carbon budgets on new infrastructure development. I apply it to roads, but you can also use it to think about new airports, terminals or, indeed, … Read more
Stick, Twist or Fold? Reflections on a year of Covid-19 travel adaptations
by Professor Greg Marsden It feels long overdue to get out and meet friends, to hug family members and to go and see what state my coffee cup is in back in my office. When we think about what an opened-up economy looks like, everyone will have their own take on what this means for … Read more
Greening the EV Transition
By Professor Greg Marsden This post originally appeared in Transport Times The end of the sale of internal combustion engine cars has been brought forward to 2030. This must be greeted with enthusiasm. It’s a big step and I am glad the government has done this. However, if this is to play its part in … Read more
Moving EVs beyond automobility culture
By Professor Monika Büscher and Dr Nicola Spurling Electric Vehicles (EVs) which mimic the current car-based system, are not the answer to the epochal challenge of decarbonising transport. In his mobility justice critique of EV, Henderson[i] highlights three reasons for this: EVs perpetuate a broken car-based mobility system. They actively detract from, or even physically displace, compact … Read more
Smart charging needed to support phase out of petrol and diesel cars
By Professor Hongjian Sun On UK roads in 2019, cars and vans were driven 333.7 billion miles[i] by burning petrol and diesel. This distance is equivalent to about 1,800 round-trips between the Earth and the Sun. This generated a massive amount of carbon emissions and air pollution. Banning sales of new petrol and diesel cars … Read more
THE SOLUTION IS THE PROBLEM: a response to the UK Prime Minister’s plan to end the sale of new petrol and diesel cars by 2030
By Kevin Anderson & Dan Calverley This post originally appeared in The Ecologist The Prime Minister this week announced a ‘10-point plan’ for a ‘green industrial revolution’, intended to create jobs and make ‘strides towards net zero by 2050’. Decarbonising road transport features heavily, with measures to end the sale of petrol and diesel cars … Read more