The transport elements of the Energy White Paper

The White Paper sets out the potential for emissions reductions in transport for both the near and long term and describes measures to be taken to bring about emissions reductions from transport. It explains the importance of new low carbon transport technologies and measures to support these, as well as measures to allow individuals to make smarter, low carbon, travel choices.  Key measures include:

• £20m of new DfT funding to support public procurement of lower carbon vehicles. This will help bring new technologies to market faster than would otherwise happen. We will develop, and consult on the details of this, with the first procurement starting from 2008/9.
• The Department for Transport, the Technology Strategy Board and Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council will finance and develop a new 'Innovation Platform', providing up to £30m of support from 2008/9 onwards for UK research  and development into the technologies which will deliver the lower carbon vehicles of the future.
• 1 million tonnes of yearly carbon savings through the Renewable Transport Fuels Obligation and a package of measures encouraging a change in behaviour to reduce emissions from transport.
• £5m per year investment by DfT to support low carbon transport technology research within the Energy Technologies Institute. The Institute (ETI) is being set up for research and development of a wide range of lower carbon technologies. The DfT contribution will support technology development in a range of areas relevant to transport, likely to include work on advanced biofuels and hydrogen.
• Setting a fleet average car procurement target of 130g/km CO2 by 2010/11 for new cars purchased by UK central Government and used for administrative operations. This will ensure the Government leads by example in reducing carbon emissions from transport.

Welcoming the £20million procurement fund, Transport Secretary Douglas Alexander said:

"Government must be at the forefront of efforts to address the environmental impact of transport. The Low Carbon Transport Innovation strategy, published alongside the Environmental White Paper, is an important document, clearly setting out Government’s role in shaping markets and incentivising the development and take up of low carbon technologies.

"Our new £20m public procurement fund will help to kick-start new markets for lower carbon vehicles by encouraging public bodies to invest in them. Meanwhile, our investment in research and development will ensure that the technology exists to meet future demand for more environmentally friendly travel."