This section provides information on climate change as well as links to sites with information on how people individually can reduce the environmental impacts of their transport choices.
Scientific evidence shows that the climate is changing.
As we burn fossil fuels we increase the amount of climate change gases in the atmosphere. The most common of these is carbon dioxide (CO2). Climate change is the world's greatest environmental challenge.
Transport accounts for around a quarter of the man-made greenhouse gas emissions from the UK.
Since April 2005, DfT has shared responsibility with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and the Department for Business Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (BERR) for the Government's Climate Change Public Service Agreement (PSA) target.
This PSA target commits DfT to working towards:
1) our Kyoto target to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 12.5 per cent by 2008 - 12 over 1990 levels; and
2) our domestic target to reduce CO2 emissions by 20 per cent by 2010 over 1990 levels.
These targets do not include emissions from international aviation.
We are committed to reducing the impact of travel on the environment and we are promoting policies to:
The Renewable Transport Fuels Obligation is one part of a set of policies which aim to reduce carbon emissions from transport in ways that are cost-effective and do not restrict people's ability to travel.
Under the Renewable Transport Fuels Obligation, 5 per cent of transport fuel sold in the UK will have to come from renewable sources by 2010. The RTFO is due to deliver significant carbon savings by 2010 and includes a sophisticated reporting mechanism to encourage transport fuel suppliers to source sustainable, low carbon fuels.
New cars sold in the UK are on average some 10% more fuel-efficient than they were a decade or so ago.
The Graduated Vehicle Excise Duty and the Company Car Tax are both linked to vehicles' carbon emissions. Reforms to VED mean that for cars with the very lowest carbon emissions the rate is reduced to zero. Motorists can save thousands of pounds on their company car tax bill if they choose clean, low-carbon vehicles.
For further information see the Vehicle Certification Agency (VCA) website - www.vca.gov.uk/fcb/index.asp
Colour-coded energy efficiency labels for new cars, modelled on those for household white goods, were launched in February 2005 and are now in most UK car showrooms. These enable consumers to make informed and environmentally friendly choices when they buy a new car. Further information is available on the Low Carbon Vehicle Partnership website - www.lowcvp.org.uk/.
The DfT has launched a climate change publicity campaign to encourage motorists to "Drive Smarter" by following simple tips to improve fuel efficiency. www.dft.gov.uk/ActonCO2.
We are putting record amounts of investment into public transport to give people a real choice of ways to travel.
We support a range of measures, called 'smarter choices', aimed at enabling people to choose sustainable travel options. These include workplace, school and residential travel planning.
With the Sustainable Travel Towns Initiative we aim to help turn Darlington, Peterborough and Worcester into showcase travel towns
And we have set up Cycling England, an expert advisory body, which coordinates the development of cycling across England.
The Department provides funding and best practice to help reduce the impact of freight activities on the environment. Further information is available on the Freight Best Practice website - www.freightbestpractice.org.uk and on the DfT website - www.dft.gov.uk/freight.
We believe that a well-designed emissions trading regime is the fairest and most efficient way to ensure that the aviation sector tackles its emissions. The Government has welcomed the European Commission's proposal to include aviation in the European Union's emissions trading scheme (ETS). The UK Government has led the debate within Europe for aviation's inclusion in the ETS at the earliest opportunity.
DfT climate change impact website
Brings together reports and information concerning the likely
impacts of climate change on the transport network
Transport in a low carbon economy
Speech by Secretary of State for Transport, Ruth Kelly at the
Transport Times conference 'Action on Climate Change: A Role
for Transport'. 5 June 2008
European Union Emissions Trading Scheme
The EU Emissions Trading Scheme (EU ETS) is one of the
policies being introduced across Europe to reduce emissions
of carbon dioxide and combat the serious threat of climate
change. Phase I of the Scheme began on 1 January 2005 and
will run until 31 December 2007. Phase II will run from
2008-2012 to coincide with the first Kyoto Protocol
commitment period.
DEFRA Climate change website: Carbon offsetting
Carbon offsetting is the process by which the emission of the
greenhouse gas carbon dioxide is offset by investing in
projects, which either reduce the emission of, or sequester
(remove), an equivalent amount of carbon dioxide.
Climate change - what you can do to help
Information about how you can help the climate through simple
lifestyle changes
DEFRA Climate Change website
The UK is acting now to adapt to climate change and to reduce
the risk by reducing our contribution to the causes. This
website explains what climate change means for the UK and
what we are doing about it.