Climate Change News

Countries reach climate change deal at Lima Conference, paving the way for Paris 2015

United Nations member countries reached a draft agreement on international climate change policy in Lima, following drawn out talks. The five-page text received a mixed reaction with the general consensus among environmental leaders being that the talks are an 'important step' towards an agreement in Paris. Meanwhile, separate reports say that 2014 is set to be the warmest year since records began.

Policy Developments

Support for ULEV R&D and chargepoints in National Infrastructure Plan

The Government's £460 billion National Infrastructure Plan, announced today, includes the promise of £50m additional investment in ultra-low emission vehicles research and development and £15m for a national network of chargepoints. There are also further details of three funds totalling £85m to support ultra-low emission taxis, buses and cities.

LowCVP to help OLEV in development of £30M Ultra Low Emission Bus Scheme

The Office for Low Emission Vehicles has published preliminary guidance on the ultra low emission bus scheme for bus operators within England and Wales. The scheme, which the LowCVP will be helping to design, aims to increase the uptake of low and ultra low emission buses.

Motor industry fears London ULEZ proposals favour older petrol cars and compromise CO2 emissions

The motor industry trade body, SMMT, has welcomed plans for an Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) in London by 2020, but has called for a rethink of proposals set out by Transport for London in a public consultation which closes on 9th Jan. The SMMT says that London should demand today’s tougher universal (Euro 6) standards for both petrol and diesel cars and vans are applicable to all new vehicles from September 2015. This would align directly with the proposed ULEZ requirement for Euro VI HDVs which have applied to vehicles since Jan 2014. 

£25m competition launched for advanced biofuels demonstration plants

The Department for Transport (DfT) has launched a £25m competition to support the development of a domestic biofuels industry in the UK. The competition will provide capital funding for three demonstration-scale advanced biofuel plants. The projects will be selected through a competitive process, with funding provided over a three-year period, in a two-stage process beginning in 2015.

OLEV announces details of £30m ultra low emission vehicle taxi scheme

The Office for Low Emission Vehicles (OLEV) has published preliminary guidance on how the £20m ultra low emission taxi scheme - first announced in April - will operate. The scheme forms part of the £500m package to grow the market for ultra low emission vehicles (ULEVs) from 2015-20.

MPs Committee calls for new schools and hospitals to be sited away from air pollution 'hotspots'

New schools, hospitals and care homes must not be built next to air pollution hotspots according to a new report from the Environmental Audit Committee, a cross-party group of MPs. The report says that existing schools located next to busy roads should also be fitted with air filtration systems.

Go Ultra Low City scheme guidance for bidders announced

The Office of Low Emission Vehicles (OLEV) has announced further details of the £35m funding competition through its ‘Go Ultra-Low City Scheme’ for up to four city schemes which to act as exemplars in promoting the uptake of ultra low emission vehicles, defined as electric, plug-in hybrid or hydrogen fuel cell vehicles.

LowCVP News

LowCVP stakeholder survey to research options for low carbon trucks

The DfT has asked the LowCVP to help facilitate a stakeholder survey to find out views of the likely technologies and uptake rates for low carbon trucks which have the potential to cut emissions over the next 20 years. To help inform the modelling of the HGV market, respondents to the survey will be invited to consider technology applicability to different truck operations. 

Save the date: LowCVP Parliamentary Reception; the economic impacts of the low carbon journey - March 9, 2015

The LowCVP is to co-host a Parliamentary reception in the House of Commons on the afternoon of Monday, March 9, 2015. The event will include the launch a new report by Cambridge Econometrics - 'The Economic Impact of Low Carbon Vehicles in the UK' - which has been commissioned by the European Climate Foundation. Speakers at the event will include leading industry and government figures.

International Developments

France and Germany challenge post-2021 EU Cars and CO2 regulation proposals

France and Germany have issued a joint declaration challenging European Parliament proposals for a 68-78g CO2/km target for 2025. The declaration says that developments beyond 2021 are "surrounded by considerable uncertainty". The 2021 target is for average new car emissions to be below 95g CO2/km.

Reports & Studies

EEA report finds transport CO2 down but local pollution on the rise

Transport's contribution to European GHG emissions fell 3.3 % in 2012 according to the European Environment Agency (EEA). However, European cities are still suffering from high levels of  air pollution, resulting in high economic, environmental and health costs across the continent.. 

Report finds that registration and company car taxes have most direct impact on low carbon choices

A new report from T&E, the Brussels-based NGO finds that the way EU governments tax cars has a considerable impact on the uptake of more fuel-efficient vehicles. Countries with the lowest levels of CO2 from new cars tend to have registration and company car taxes that are strongly graduated according to carbon emissions and have the greatest influence on car buyers’ choices.

New report maps out global EV innovations

Innovative ideas which could bring a step change in the uptake of electric vehicles (EVs) are profiled in the latest release of the EV City Casebook. Produced by Urban Foresight, the International Energy Agency, the Electric Vehicles Initiative, and Clean Energy Ministerial, it focuses on a summary of '50 big ideas shaping the future of electric mobility'. 

Industry News

Plans for 2016 Battersea Park motor show with low carbon focus

London is to see the return of a national motor show which aims to rank alongside the events held in Geneva and Frankfurt. Launched by HRH Prince Michael of Kent, the show will take place in Battersea Park from 5-8 May 2016 and will have a big emphasis on electric and hybrid vehicles.

Biomethane subsidy certainty welcomed by industry

The Government has proposed the introduction of tiered subsidies for biomethane plants which should lead to more consistent returns for suppliers. The proposals have been broadly welcomed by the industry.

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