Wider issues – international air emissions and ‘enabling mechanisms’

There are wider policy areas, beyond surface transport, that will be important to tackle if transport CO2 emissions are to be reduced.

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International emissions, including air and shipping, are difficult areas in terms of achieving reduced emissions. There is limited (current) political or public appetite for reducing supply or demand in these areas.

‘Enabling mechanisms’ such as carbon rationing schemes may be required in future years if carbon reduction targets are to be met. Again there are significant difficulties to implementing these. The most likely rationing schemes are at the fuel supplier, motor manufacturer levels, with other possibilities at the individual level. Defra developed a ‘pre feasibility study’ into personal carbon trading. The headline finding is that “personal carbon trading has potential to engage individuals in taking action to combat climate change, but is essentially ahead of its time and expected costs for implementation are high”.

Emissions trading is emerging as an instrument in the drive to reduce carbon emissions. The rationale behind emission trading is to ensure that the emission reductions take place where the cost of the reduction is lowest thus lowering the overall costs of combating climate change. Schemes have been developed at the EU and UK level.

Oil price changes are also critical to enabling behavioural change. Recent fluctuations in price have been associated with causing changed travel patterns. There are potential fundamental changes to our future travel behaviours associated with peak oil and the gradual depletion of oil resources. The International Energy Agency gives a view on the likely dates for peak oil.

Future lifestyles are likely to change markedly if carbon efficient transport futures are to be achieved. The public will, of course, be critical actors. We will need to choose very different travel behaviours. Efforts to encourage behaviour change through communication and marketing will need to be much enhanced.

Priority: reduce car use and improve the carbon efficiency of vehicles
Tags: national level, transport