The general election and the return of a Labour government to Westminster on 4 July seems a long time ago already. While the ambition to tackle climate change has returned, the fundamental question remains: How to navigate to deliver net zero transport and foster growth?
The King’s Speech set out the new administration’s ambitions and priorities, with the urgency of tackling climate change, the need to secure economic growth and the importance of the further devolution of decision-making being key elements of the legislative programme. Alongside that programme will be the delivery of net zero through a focused industrial strategy which will aim to maximise the benefits the essential green transition presents for UK plc.
Labour’s manifesto included commitments to end the sale of conventional internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles, accelerate the roll-out of electric vehicle charging points, upgrade the national grid and reform planning rules to speed up clean energy projects. All of which will be vital to empowering the transition to net zero transport, but are not sufficient in themselves, nor can the Westminster government deliver this transition in isolation.
Logistics, freight and the commercial vehicles will be a vital part of delivering net zero transport and critical in providing the economic lifeblood of the economy as well as acting as a key enabler to the growth the country needs. While the government can put the major building blocks in place, delivery is in large part devolved to the nations of the UK, regions and local authorities.
A great deal will need to happen to deliver net zero transport and many hitherto unfamiliar partners and contributors must pull together in a perhaps unprecedented commercial, consumer and civil society collaboration.
Zemo Partnership aims to be a step ahead in this challenge, providing the new government with some key structures already in place to support delivery of the policies and initiatives needed to meet the targets while minimising the costs and maximising the benefits arising from the transition.
In June, we announced the formation of the Council for Net Zero Transport, chaired by Lord Deben with a very senior membership, drawn from a wide range of stakeholder organisations and trade bodies. The council will help provide the strategic focus, underpinned by Zemo’s 20-plus years as an unbiased, not-for-profit convenor of partnerships to support accelerated transport decarbonisation.
As Lord Deben said at the launch: “This new Council brings together very experienced people in key positions and with the widest range of perspectives to help us forge an evidence-based, multi-stakeholder consensus on how we can maximise the benefits from this essential – and inevitable – transition.”
Zemo’s member organisations, convened through our series of expert working groups, will be critical in providing the knowledge, experience and evidence base to define the roadmaps that will support the new government’s policy approach. In addition, Zemo is supporting the Welsh Government in the development of a policy roadmap to decarbonise commercial vehicles and the establishment of a specific Welsh working group to support Wales in its policy delivery.
Joining Zemo enables members to have a voice in this next critical delivery phase of transport decarbonisation as the UK pivots to delivery. Our journey to a delivery roadmap for net zero transport will be the focus of the Zemo Partnership summit on 3 October.
Do join us!
Claire Haigh, CEO, Zemo Partnership
