What a low carbon year that was! A merry Christmas and happy 2017 to all our readers
Thu 22 December 2016
View all news
What a twelve months it has been for low carbon transport! A year which included the ratification of the Paris Climate Agreement, dramatic political changes in the UK and around the world has ended with the low carbon automotive sector looking set to take centre stage in the UK's forthcoming industrial strategy.
The Paris Agreement which was finalised at COP21 in December 2015, has been signed by almost all (194) countries in the world and most (118) - including the world's biggest emitters - have now ratified it. After several EU states did so in October 2016, there were sufficient ratifying countries for the agreement to enter into force.
The year has seen rising focus on low carbon mobility driven by both the climate and air quality challenges, adding momentum to all aspects of clean and low carbon transport, but in particular to the electrification agenda.
In the first half of the year, electric car pioneers Tesla announced that they had received 400,000 pre-orders for their new Model 3, targeted at the 'mass market'. Later in the year, the world's largest car maker Toyota announced that it was ending its long-standing reserve about battery electric vehicles, establishing a new plug-in vehicle division, while VW - in the wake of diesel emissions turmoil - said it would be redoubling its efforts towards electrification. Meanwhile, Nissan extended the range of its standard Leaf and Renault has announced the introduction of a 200-mile plus range Zoe. With the arrival of longer range pure electric vehicles like GM's Bolt - viewed as a potential game-changer - and predictions (from VW) that the production costs of diesel cars compared with EVs would cross over some time between 2023 and 2025, the prospects for electric cars look exciting.
But progress in 2016 has not been confined to the car sector. Important advances have been made in the bus industry too, using a wide range of low emission fuels and technologies (celebrated in a series of three reports by the LowCVP - the third yet to come) which show how greener, cleaner buses have been making great inroads across the UK and helping clean mobility within our cities following a decade or more of policy focus and stakeholder efforts.
Attention has turned to the truck and van sectors which are significant, and growing, contributors to carbon dioxide emissions and urban pollution. The EU has a low-emission mobility strategy that formally states there will be truck CO2 standards. Here in the UK, the LowCVP has been building the evidence on which policy to drive the uptake of low emission trucks can be based, such as the low carbon accreditation scheme announced at the Partnership's summer conference and the imminent publication of gas truck trials and tests. The LowCVP is re-establishing the long dormant CV working group with prospects for significant progress ahead.
Despite the turbulence resulting from 'Brexit', the election of Trump in the US and a new UK Government, it's clear that low carbon, low emission vehicles and fuels are right at the top of the Government's agenda as it looks to the future. The well-publicised deal with Nissan that resulted in the company's promise to maintain its UK operations post-Brexit sent a strong signal, reinforced by noises from JLR that it is looking to make major UK investments to support its electrification and battery development plans.
The currently open consultation on the RTFO, gives an insight into how the low carbon fuel contribution must be increased with determination if we are to meet EU targets and UK carbon budgets
As 2016 drew to a close, there were clear statements by the Business and Energy Secretary, Greg Clark, that his vision for the UK's industrial future has a low carbon automotive industry at its centre. Both the Government and the Labour opposition are clear that they would like to make the UK a world-leading hub for electric and next-generation vehicles.
The Government backed these aims in an Autumn Statement which included the commitment of a further £375m support for the ULEV transition to 2020. Government closed the year with a flurry of consultations and announcements leaving us in no doubt about the urgency and scale of the challenge but also about its commitment to working in partnership with all stakeholders.
So quite a year and so many developments to keep up with! 2017 looks set to be another exciting and ground-breaking year in the low carbon transport world. One in which the LowCVP and its members will play an even more prominent role.
A VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL LOWCVP MEMBERS AND NEWSLETTER READERS!
Related Links
< Back to news list