This post is by independent tree consultant, Paul Wood
In case you hadn’t noticed, trees are having a moment. And you can expect them to have an even higher profile over the coming days as 2020’s National Tree Week gets under way.
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It’s a debate that refuses to go away and it’s back in the news: should we use carbon taxes or carbon trading to bring greenhouse gas emissions down? For anyone around before the start of the EU emissions trading system (ETS) 15 years ago, or who has followed the endless post-referendum discussions on how to replace it, this feels like a particularly geeky sort of Groundhog Day.
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After a successful few months since its launch in March this year, Tees Flex recently announced plans to expand to new destinations in the Tees Valley. This on-demand bus service has provided a convenient option for people to get to work or school, or visit their doctor, using a smart mobility app. This innovation is helping to get people out of their cars, reducing congestion and carbon emissions.
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The UK may see itself as a climate leader, with cross-party support for a net zero goal. But, last week, local politicians granted planning permission for a proposed coal mine on the West Coast of Cumbria. Burning the coal from the mine, to make steel, will release nine million tonnes of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere every year. That’s more than double Cumbria’s total current emissions. (There’s more on the background to the mine in this briefing.)
Read moreThis post is by Hannah Dillon, head of the Zero Carbon Campaign.
There are many things uncertain about post-Brexit Britain, but indecision around how pollution will be priced beyond December could have serious implications, both for the implementation of a green recovery from Covid-19, and the realisation of the UK’s 2050 net zero carbon target.
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Many were eagerly awaiting the chancellor’s statement last month to hear how he would tackle the economic crisis whilst also delivering a green recovery. But, despite some welcome measures on energy efficiency, his statement did not have green priorities running through it. Read more
The way we travel has transformed in recent months. The number of people using public transport has plummeted, bus use has fallen by 85 per cent and rail use has dropped by 95 per cent, according to the Committee on Climate Change’s recent report. And people want change. A study in major European cities by Transport and Environment found that almost three quarters of respondents do not want to return to pre-coronavirus levels of pollution. Read more
This post is by Darren Shirley, chief executive of Campaign for Better Transport
Covid-19 changed transport overnight. As travel during lockdown was reduced to essential journeys only, cars and public transport were ditched in favour of walking and cycling, and the reduction in road traffic led to immediate air quality improvements. Read more
This post is by Colin Hines, convenor of the Green New Deal group
Linking tackling of the coronavirus crisis with solving the climate crisis is now being called for on all sides, from the UK’s Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab to the IMF. Read more
This post was first published in an essay collection called ‘Delivering net zero’ for think tank Bright Blue and WSP UK.
There is a pressing need to move fast in decarbonising our transport sector. Transport is the largest source of UK emissions, with cars alone contributing 15 per cent to the UK’s total carbon footprint, according to the Department of Transport. Read more
