Campaign organisation calls on government to tackle transport emissions
Thu 17 February 2005
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Transport2000 has said that the Government must tackle carbon emissions from road transport and aviation or continued progress towards carbon reduction targets will be undone. According to the campaign organisation, a 73% increase in road traffic between 1980 and 2002 resulted in a 39% increase in greenhouse gas emissions from the sector.
In an announcement timed to coincide with the coming into force of the Kyoto Protocol, Transport 2000 said that while road traffic and aviation are the fastest growing sources of climate change gases, the Government remains nervous of making any connection between personal travel habits and the need to tackle climate change and protect the environment.
In fact, the organisation says, Government is planning for further increases in traffic and aviation through a large road building programme and airport expansion.
Although the UK has already met its Kyoto target of a 12.5 per cent cut in all greenhouse gas emissions by 2012, the Government acknowledges that the UK is now unlikely to meet its own target of a 20% reduction in emissions (on 1990 levels) by that time.
Related Links
Transport 2000 press release (follow news link)
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