NEXT PM MUST PRIORITISE NET ZERO SAYS BUS/COACH INDUSTRY FOLLOWING NEW REPORT

The Confederation of Passenger Transport (CPT) has called on the two remaining candidates vying to be the next Prime Minister, to ensure net zero goals are put front and centre
of the new government’s agenda.

According to research from the Office for National Statistics, three quarters (75%) of adults in Great Britain are worried about the impact of climate change.1

What’s more, recent consumer research conducted by CPT found that less than half of Brits (46%) think that the government is doing enough to reach its goal of reducing carbon
emissions by 75% by 2030.

The calls follow the publication of CPT’s ‘Decarbonisation Dividend’ report. Written by WPI Economics, the report demonstrates the vital role increased bus and coach travel has
to play in the UK reaching its targets.

The recent High Court ruling that found the government’s net zero strategy to be ‘unlawful’ has put the issue back into sharp focus.

Graham Vidler, Chief Executive of CPT said: “Newspaper column inches and television screens are filled with the news of MPs vying for the top job, yet net zero and decarbonisation
are hardly featuring in this Conservative Party leadership contest.

“Our new report has shown that changes in the way we travel are needed to keep us on the Climate Change Committee’s pathway to net zero.

“The report shows that small changes in the way we travel can create a big difference. To unlock these benefits, each of us needs to switch just one journey per month from car
to bus by the end of this decade, two journeys per month by 2050. That’s it.

“With the recent High Court ruling ordering the government to redraw its net zero strategy, there is now an opportunity to look again at how we reach those targets. Our findings
show that increased bus and coach travel are key to helping the nation achieve these.”

The findings showed that that if every person in Great Britain switched just over one car trip to bus or coach per month each year (13 per year) by 2030 it would create a cumulative
reduction of 2 million tons of C02e.
What’s more, a shift of just over two trips per month (26 per year) journeys by 2050 would result in a cumulative reduction of
19.5 million tons of C02e
– equivalent to the total C02e emissions
of the North East and Leeds combined during 2019.

The findings of the report also identified health and economic benefits that could be reaped in years to come due to this shift. These benefits include reductions in congestion
valued at £29.4 billion and health benefits worth £14.9 billion – enough to build
33 new NHS hospitals.

Consumer research conducted by CPT found that six in 10 believe that increasing the use of public transport is important in order to help the UK reduce its carbon emissions by
75% by 2030. Whilst almost half (49%) of car driving Brits have considered taking the bus more often than the car compared to this time last year in order to be greener.

Graham Vidler continued: “Our findings show that around half of Brits want to have a more balanced mix between using their car and taking the bus or a coach.

“With the many parts of the country set to invest in speeding up journey times there’s a great opportunity for people to start shifting some of their journeys. It’s essential
that whoever steps into number 10 appreciates and picks up the challenge ahead.

“The National Bus Strategy is a great start, but it is only a start, and the next government must finish the job by committing to funding across the whole country. That way, we
can ensure that the sector can fulfil its role as a key driver toward the UK meeting its net zero goals.”