Environmental Audit Committee calls for more urgency from DfT in tackling climate change
Fri 12 May 2006
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In answer to the Government's response to the Environmental Audit Committee's Report on Reducing Carbon Emissions from Transport the EAC chairman, Tim Yeo MP, said that "the Committee remain concerned at the DfT's ongoing lack of urgency in tackling climate change".
While "welcoming the substantive and constructive nature of the Department for Transport's response to our report" Mr Yeo said that the DfT's own projections of future carbon emissions suggest that CO2 from transport will be no lower in 2050 than in 1990.
He continued: "This contrasts with the Government's targets for the UK as a whole to make carbon cuts of at least 60% from 1990 levels by mid-century. This is precisely the lack of ambition, the sense of entitlement owing to transport as a special case, that we highlighted throughout our report. We wonder whether DfT truly appreciates the magnitude and urgency of this issue, no matter the array of climate change policies it can point to."
The EAC was answering the Government's official response to the Committee's earlier report and taking the unusual step of publishing its own critical commentary on this Government response.
In its answer, the EAC reiterates the Committee's recommendation for DfT to be given a transport-specific target for CO2 reductions and criticises the Department for failing to respond adequately to the Committee's recommendation that DfT should improve the way in which it reports against its PSA target on reducing greenhouse gases.
Related Links
Goverment - official response to EAC enquiry (Download link - 304kb)
EAC website link
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