LGA sustainability briefing: decarbonising transport

The UK has committed to reaching net zero by 2050. This means that the total greenhouse gas emissions would be equal to the emissions removed from the atmosphere, with the aim of limiting climate change. Transport is the largest contributor to UK domestic greenhouse gas emissions. In 2022, transport accounted for 26 per cent of the UK’s carbon emissions. The majority of transport emissions are from road transport, with cars accounting for 52 per cent of transport emissions. Central government sets a national agenda for public transport policy, makes key fiscal decisions which affect modal choice (e.g. setting rates of fuel duty) and provides funding for specific modes (especially buses). Local government and the private sector have responsibility to deliver most key transport outcomes. 

Figure 1 - Greenhouse gas emissions by sector, 2021, by proportion (DESNZ, 2023)

Local authorities play a key role in decarbonising transport through, for example:  ​

• Reducing the need for people to travel by car by using the planning system to ensure that people, where possible, can access the services they need through active travel or public transport ​
• Encouraging and enabling active travel or use of public transport for example by providing the necessary infrastructure and information. This includes ensuring that bus services are provided wherever necessary (in line with the requirements set out the Transport Acts of 1968 and 1985).   
• Encouraging and enabling a switch to lower carbon vehicles for example by ensuring a good network of Electric Vehicle (EV) charging points. 
• This briefing explains the business case for taking action to decarbonise transport and sets out suggested interventions that local authorities can take across different areas. It is one of a series of LGA briefings relating to environmental sustainability.

As well as playing a key role in meeting the UK’s net zero target, decarbonising transport has positive impacts on health, equality, social cohesion and economic opportunity: 

Health

• Poor air quality (caused primarily by road transport) is linked to around 40,000 deaths per year in the UK. 
• Estimates suggest that tackling air pollution could save the UK economy £1.6bn per year through reduced numbers of premature deaths, fewer sick days taken and higher work productivity.
• Physical inactivity is responsible for 1 in 6 deaths in the UK and costs the UK £7.4bn annually. People’s levels of physical activity can be increased through facilitating active travel; increased physical activity could potentially save the NHS £15bn a year by reducing the prevalence of type-2 diabetes, dementia, heart disease, cerebrovascular disease, and cancer.

Economy

• Reducing traffic congestion through increased active travel and use of public transport is good for the economy.  In 2021, congestion cost the UK a total of £8bn, with the average Briton losing 73 hours to traffic. Reduced congestion also helps to create a more attractive place to do business. In Piccadilly, Stoke-on-Trent, a £10 million investment to make the area more pedestrian-friendly led to 30 per cent more footfall.
• 1.4 billion shopping trips by bus per year contributes £21 billion to the economy, nearly one third of all city centre expenditure.
• The UK cycle industry is worth three times more than the UK steel industry, and employs twice as many people. Cycling related businesses generate at least £5.4bn for the UK economy each year and they sustain 64,000 jobs.  

Equality and social cohesion 

• Air quality affects everyone, but higher concentrations of ambient pollution are typically found in more socially disadvantaged areas. 
• For those on lower incomes and seeking employment, the bus is a crucial link to employment opportunities as more than three quarters of job seekers do not have access to a car. 
• Furthermore, those most affected by air pollution in the UK are often those least responsible for producing it – it is vehicles passing through their neighbourhoods which are primarily responsible for causing the pollution rather than travel by those living within the area, as low-income communities are more likely to use public transport than private vehicles.

There are many potential interventions that councils can take to decarbonise transport; these will vary depending on the tier of the council and its location (rural/urban).  A list is provided below split by what the council can do to lead by example, policy, infrastructure and communications and engagement. 

Leading by example

Local authorities have a key role to play as leaders in their community, demonstrating interventions to cut carbon. For example: 

• Switching the council’s fleet to green vehicles. Swale Borough Council has replaced its fleet of diesel vans with electric vans, to be charged via eight new EV chargers. 
• Introducing a system to encourage and enable staff to travel by low carbon means. Norfolk County Council has partnered with Liftshare to provide a free matching service for everyone who lives, works and travels in and around Norfolk. 3,000 people have registered.
• Introducing e-cargo bikes for council deliveries and use by other local organisations. Colchester Borough Council’s e-cargo bike library aims to break down barriers to the use of electric carbon bikes for deliveries instead of cars and vans.  

Policy 

• The Local Plan can ensure that new developments are designed without reliance on private cars with active travel and public transport solutions embedded. Stroud District Council is reducing car journeys through using a settlement hierarchy – a planning tool that aims to keep homes, jobs and services as close together as possible so that people’s daily needs are met on their doorstep.
• Councils can use Supplementary Planning Document to encourage more sustainable forms of transport. Swindon Borough Council  has developed a Supplementary Planning Document that has helped secure the creation and maintenance of travel plans for new education, workplace, and residential developments.
• Councils can encourage lower emission vehicles through introducing emissions-based parking permits. The Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea has moved from a resident parking permit structure with seven price bands to one which is more directly related to the CO2 emissions of the vehicle.
• Councils can implement policies that restrict car use in certain areas. For example, Nottingham City Council has adopted a workplace parking levy to manage congestion and provide an income stream that helps to deliver better public transport.  

Infrastructure

• Introducing safe routes for active travel. The London Borough of Southwark is cutting car use and boosting health by implementing safe routes and encouraging active travel.
• Councils can ensure that new schools are built to enable low carbon travel. Essex County Council has produced a Sustainable School Travel Design Guide which sets out how a new build school in a new community should be designed to prioritise travel by sustainable modes.  
• Providing secure bike parking options and public ebike share schemes can encourage people out of their cars. Leicester City Council has partnered with Santander Cycles to deliver a public ebike share system. Leicester specific businesses also support the scheme as a socially inclusive, affordable, easy to use and zero emission option for active travel.
• Ensuring there is a good network of EV charging points will help those who require a private vehicle to make the switch to an EV. Carlisle City Council is working to make the city more accessible for electric vehicle drivers and is partnering with local Community Benefit Society Charge my Street to install electric vehicle charge points in community settings. 
• Road resurfacing can be highly carbon intensive.  In recognition of this, Lancashire County Council has begun to measure the carbon outputs of its resurfacing and develop tools to integrate carbon useage into the asset lifecycle modelling.  

Partnership working

• With community groups and public transport providers to ensure joined up transport options. Hope Valley Climate Action is collaborating with Derbyshire County Council to encourage active travel, improve public transport and decrease car use in the community.
• With businesses on freight consolidation schemes. Southampton City Council is working with local businesses to develop delivery and service plans that reduce emissions through greener last-mile delivery alternatives, such as electric vans and electric cargo bikes.

Engagement and communication

• Running engagement events to raise awareness of potential for and benefits of active travel. Waltham Forest has engaged with residents to win support for an active travel revolution. 
• Codesign of active travel routes with the community. Active travel charity Sustrans has produced guidance for local authorities on engaging with communities on the design of Low Traffic Neighbourhoods.  

Financing activity 

There are a number of options for financing green transport initiatives, including:

• The UK Government’s LEVI fund supports local authorities in England to work with the chargepoint industry, to improve the roll out and commercialisation of local charging infrastructure. 
• Councils can raise money for low carbon infrastructure through Local Climate Bonds. 
• Money can be brought for active travel infrastructure through Section 106 agreements or the Community Infrastructure Levy (which is being replaced by the Infrastructure Levy). 
• The new, government-owned Infrastructure Bank will also be a potential source of loans for local authorities to fund climate action. The bank will initially partner with Bristol, Greater Manchester and West Yorkshire on 3 pilot projects focussing on net zero and local growth: the electrification of buses, mass transit (such as trams) and low-carbon energy infrastructure.
• Councils can introduce demand management interventions, such as workplace parking levy (such as Nottingham) or congestion charging (such as Mayor of London). These have the dual benefit of reducing congestion, harmful emissions and raising funding for investment in public transport and active travel infrastructure.

Carbon emissions from transport are unevenly distributed throughout the UK. Average transport emissions for a UK council in 2021 were 304 kilotonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent, though figure 2 below illustrates the variation in emissions across local authorities.

Figure 2 – carbon emissions by council

An interactive version of this map is available here. 

The LGA has produced a series of decarbonising transport briefings:

• Getting carbon ambition right
• The role of buses
• Accelerating the uptake of electric vehicles
• Climate smart parking policies
• The role of land use, localisation and accessibility
• Travelling less and the role of online opportunities
• Growing cycle use
• Sustainability in Council Services – Transport routemap | Local Government Association