Greener Vision TKH Page 18

Congestion is not just a drag on the economy, it kills.

Published on: 15th June 2017 by Claire Haigh.

Greener Journeys has published new research which demonstrates that reducing congestion must be at the heart of Government’s strategy to improve air quality. Halving average city traffic speeds leads to a 50% increase in harmful NOx emissions. While it is essential to clean up diesel vehicles, it is also crucial that the continual decline in…

Oxford – Milton Keynes – Northampton – Cambridge Corridor of Growth

Published on: 1st May 2017 by Hilary Chipping.

The National Infrastructure Commission’s (NIC) Interim Report last October on the Cambridge – Milton Keynes – Northampton – Oxford corridor of growth suggested that this area could be UK’s Silicon Valley – a world renowned centre for science, technology and innovation. However, the NIC added that a lack of sufficient and suitable housing presents a fundamental risk to the success of the area. The undersupply of housing is made worse by poor east-west connectivity.

Improving air quality: what’s the plan?

Published on: 12th April 2017 by Claire Haigh.

DEFRA is due this month to publish its new Air Quality Plan. Government has already lost two court cases on this issue, so the pressure is on. Concern over air quality is no longer just the preserve of environmental groups and it is widely recognized that we are facing a public health emergency. With air…

Transport investment under uncertainty

Published on: 1st April 2017 by Gerard Whelan.

We are at the beginning of a new industrial revolution which will bring challenges and opportunities to our communities. This revolution will disrupt economic, social and transport needs, creating increased levels of uncertainty for those involved in making transport policy and investment decisions.

Launch of the Transport Knowledge Hub

Published on: 27th March 2017 by Claire Haigh.

Greener Journeys is pleased to be a sponsor of the Transport Knowledge Hub, which launches today at the LEP Annual Conference at the QEII in Westminster. Transport is central to unlocking growth, which is why transport infrastructure investment accounts for such a significant proportion of allocated Local Growth Fund. The key question is what is…

What would you do if you had £690m to tackle urban congestion in England?

Published on: 13th March 2017 by Robert Jack.

Guest Post by Robert Jack. Managing Editor and Publisher of Passenger Transport We will soon hear Chris Grayling’s answer to this question. The Secretary of State for Transport will shortly reveal details of a new competition for local authorities to “get local transport networks moving again”, launched by Chancellor Philip Hammond in last week’s Budget. There…

Reduce car use to meet emissions challenge

Published on: 19th July 2016 by Claire Haigh.

The recent progress report from the Committee on Climate Change (CCC) makes for interesting reading. The good news is that that greenhouse gas emissions have fallen by an average of 4.5% in the past three years and are now 38% below 1990 levels. However, the less encouraging news is that this reduction in emissions has…

LEPs hold the keys to growth

Published on: 29th April 2016 by Claire Haigh.

Centralisation has for too long been choking off growth. There is a clear consensus across the political spectrum that power and decision making needs to be devolved, and that local people are best placed to drive local economic growth. Whilst there is broad agreement on the overall direction of travel, what is not yet clear…

To tackle poor air quality, we need to talk about modal shift

Published on: 2nd February 2016 by Claire Haigh.

Air quality has shot up the agenda. It is estimated that poor air quality may cause 29,000 early deaths a year, and transport has been identified as a major contributor. Government is rightly focused on the issue, as recent announcements on the Clean Air Zones and Clean Bus Technology Fund demonstrate. But why has there…

The will to change

Published on: 4th November 2014 by Claire Haigh.

“We have the means to limit climate change. All we need is the will to change.” Rajendra Pachauri, Chair, Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). The most recent IPCC report states that climate change has already increased the risk of severe heat-waves and other extreme weather, and warns of worse to come. The report makes clear…

Water, water everywhere…

Published on: 28th February 2014 by Claire Haigh.

When the flood waters have receded what will be the legacy? What impact, if any, will the flooding have on the climate change agenda in UK politics? There is now an increasing body of evidence, confirmed by the Met Office, that extreme daily rainfall rates are becoming more intense, in line with what is to…

Are these the warning signs?

Published on: 9th December 2013 by Claire Haigh.

Last week a “freak” storm wreaked massive damage along the east coast of the UK. Are erratic and unpredictable weather events increasingly what we should expect? A few weeks ago Typhoon Haiyan, one of the worst environmental catastrophes ever, struck in the Philippines just as the latest round of UN-sponsored climate change talks were getting…