Department for Transport publishes Freight Carbon Review
Tue 07 May 2013
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The Department for Transport (DfT) has published a review of the UK's freight transport sector in the context of carbon emissions. The Freight Carbon Review (FCR) monitors how well the industry is voluntarily acting on reducing carbon output and fuel consumption in line with the decision not to make driver training a mandatory part of the Driver Certificate of Professional Competence.
The report considers the level of uptake of eco-driving training and fuel savings from both industry-led and voluntary activities.It concludes that some parts of the freight industry are making “substantial efforts” but that “it is less clear around what is happening across the wider industry”.
The Review looked at surveys of operators, information from the FTA’s Logistics Carbon Reduction Scheme (LCRS), and also took submissions from the FTA to gauge how effectively the commercial vehicle sector has been in tackling emissions.
Its report says: “Available evidence shows that some parts of the freight industry are making substantial efforts, through a wide range of measures, to reduce their carbon emissions.”
Former Transport Minister Mike Penning MP set up the Review to reconsider the case for government involvement in eco-driving training. The Review concluded however that “operators are best placed to know the particular development needs of their drivers and therefore has no plans to make eco-driving training a mandatory element of periodic training at present but will keep the issue under review.”
The decision stems in part from progress made by the LCRS; a voluntary initiative created in order to monitor, report and reduce CO2 emissions from transport. Participation is free of charge to companies operating commercial vehicles within the UK, and by December last year it had 72 members operating more than 60,000 commercial vehicles.
The FTA welcomed the decision and the Association climate change policy manager, Rachael Dillon, said: “The Freight Carbon Review clearly shows the benefits of an industry-led approach to carbon reduction which has been successfully demonstrated by the Logistics Carbon Reduction Scheme. We welcome the Department’s decision to continue to work with industry on carbon reduction rather than introducing regulation."
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