Greenhouse gas emissions on the rise from road transport in the UK

(Climate Action, 17 Sep 2019) Road transport emissions are on the rise in the UK, despite heavy investment to reduce it.

Road transport emissions are on the rise in the UK, despite heavy investment to reduce it.

A new report from the Office for National Statistics has found that road transport emissions have risen since 1990, despite efforts to reduce it.

Road transport is an important source of both greenhouse gases and air pollutants, the report notes. It is responsible for significant contributions to emissions of carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxides, particulate matter (PM) 10 and PM2.5.

The report found that at the end of 2018, out of approximately 39.4 million licensed vehicles in the UK, only 0.5% were ultra-low emission vehicles.

Data from the Department for Transport (DfT) highlights the scale of the challenge associated with the net zero by 2050 target and the clean air strategy.

In June, Theresa May announced that the UK had become the first G7 nation to commit to net zero by 2050. The OFS report says that this new target will significantly impact emissions from road transport.

External link

Climate Action, 17 Sep 2019: Greenhouse gas emissions on the rise from road transport in the UK