A Delivery Roadmap that establishes the interventions required across key policy areas for net zero transport has launched today by Zemo Partnership.

The manifesto shows where taxation of fleets and mobility needs changing or developing to give effective incentives, greater certainty and more fairness

Created on the back of over a year of consultation with an extensive range of stakeholders, the Delivery Roadmap for Net Zero Transport in the UK shows why road transport’s decarbonisation transition is central to UK Plc’s economic prospects and the policy developments urgently needed to enable delivery.

At COP29, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer pledged an enhanced UK target of an 81% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2035, in line with requirements for the 1.5°C trajectory.

Zemo Partnership (formerly Low Carbon Vehicle Partnership), says this enhanced target demands even greater urgency in delivering emissions reductions from road transport. The sector will need to be virtually carbon free by 2050.

Transport, which is responsible for around a quarter of the country’s greenhouse gas emissions, is one of the most challenging and complex sectors of the UK economy to decarbonise.

New policies to address the barriers to rapid transport decarbonisation are required – and the Roadmap points to the areas where these policy interventions are most urgently needed. These include measures to:

• Accelerate the rollout of electric vehicles by working with the private sector to identify how many and what types of chargers are needed and where, and ensure fairness in VAT rates for charging.
• Decarbonise the existing fleet with a package of measures to boost production and demand for low carbon fuels.
• Encourage low carbon travel choices by providing greater support and information on walking, cycling, public transport, car clubs and lift sharing.
• Direct policy and funding to close skills gaps and speed up reskilling and upskilling by reforming the Apprenticeship Levy and introducing a new skills passport.
• Unlock green finance by improving lenders’ perceptions of risk and facilitating the use of lower risk financing options

The paper draws on extensive consultations in 2023 and 2024 with Zemo members. The Partnership represents around 200 organisations, including all sections of the motor and energy industries, consumer, academic & environmental organisations, road user groups and others.

Zemo managing director Claire Haigh said the conclusions from the research were clear.

“The UK can and must reduce its surface transport transmissions by taking a multi-path approach: expanding the use of zero-emission vehicles, promoting low-carbon fuels and encouraging changes in personal behaviours.”

The Delivery Roadmap for Net Zero Transport builds on the publication of a report offering guidance to the new Government, which set seven key principles to inform policy on delivering net zero transport.

The paper has been welcomed by the Council for Net Zero Transport, which was established by Zemo Partnership last June and provides independent strategic guidance to Zemo to complement the work of Partnership members.

Lord Deben, chair of the Council for Net Zero Transport, remarked: “Addressing transport emissions is a critical part of tackling the existential threat of climate change.

“The transport transition is a multi-faceted and complex challenge which is why we need to bring people with the widest range of perspectives together and to harness the power of key organisations with the agency and resources to deliver the necessary changes.

“The publication of this Roadmap is a necessary step in defining a vision around which we can coalesce and move forward.”

To download the Delivery Roadmap report, click here.