Resource sheet 2
Countries like the UK need to secure an 80% reduction in CO2 emissions by 2050.
Road vehicles
Create 25% UK CO2 emissions (80% of this total comes from cars)
Suggestions
- Ask manufacturers to improve technology in cars so that average CO2 emissions are reduced from 170g/km to 143g/km by 2008.
- Reduce road tax for cars with the lowest CO2 emissions.
- Increase taxes on petrol and diesel to make fuel more expensive.
- Road pricing – roads tolls to make travel by car more expensive.
- Congestion charging in towns and cities – to make travel by car more expensive.
- Reduce speed limits to cut fuel consumption.
- Stop all new road building and widening schemes to make travel less attractive.
- Stop building out-of-town leisure or shopping centres - to reduce the need for car travel.
- Provide money to make public transport cheaper and easier.
- Publicity scheme to encourage more cycling, walking and car sharing.
- Ban use of cars taking children to and from school.
AVIATION
Aviation is the fastest growing source of CO2 emissions in the UK – it will soon have a greater impact on the climate than that of road transport.
Suggestions
- Use taxes on aviation fuel to increase cost of air travel.
- Tax passengers for the CO2 emissions created by their flight.
- Use the money collected from air passengers to invest in high-speed railway links
- Ask aircraft manufacturers to improve technology to cut CO2 emissions.
SHIPPING
Carbon dioxide emissions from shipping are double those of aviation and could rise by as much as 75% in the next 15 to 20.
Suggestions
- Use taxes on shipping fuel to increase the price of imported goods.
- Ask ship builders to improve technology to cut CO2 emissions.
- Encourage greater use of railways for carrying freight.
PUBLIC OPINION
- 61% oppose environmental tax on air travel.
- 20% want to ban cars taking children to and from school.
- 83% say people should buy cars with lower CO2 emissions.
- 89% say they’d find life difficult without a car.
- 90% of children have bikes, 30% want to cycle to school but only 1% do.
- 40% support congestion charging.
- 58% want the government to encourage companies to carry freight by rail instead of road.
- 80% say taxes on petrol and diesel are too high.
- 66% say the government should improve provision for cyclists and walkers – even if this causes more problems for cars.