DfT’s Net Zero board meets for first time

Environment

The DfT has held the first meeting of its ‘Net Zero Transport board’, which will shape the Government’s transport decarbonisation plan. 

The group met online this week, with three ministers attending: transport secretary Grant Shapps, transport minister Rachel Maclean and minister for clean growth Kwasi Kwarteng.

The board will help inform the DfT’s transport decarbonisation plan to be published later this year. The plan will set out proposals to decarbonise every form of transport to support the statutory carbon budgets and the statutory net zero target for 2050.

Said Shapps: “Clearly our ground-breaking transport decarbonisation plan must be shaped by the best brains and informed by the widest array of expertise and experience.”

Board members have been appointed according to their expertise on particular themes:

• Environment: Carly McLachlan, director of the Tyndall Centre and Leo Murray, founder of Possible
• Roads: Peter Mock, EU managing director of the International Council on Clean Transportation, and Konstanze Scharring, director of policy, SMMT
• Behavioural change: Professor Lorraine Whitmarsh, director of the UK Centre for Climate Change and Social Transformation
• Policy: Richard Howard, director, and head of environment & energy at the Policy Exchange think tank
• Place: Polly Billington of the UK100 Cities Network
• Rural: Stephen Joseph, visiting professor at the University of Hertfordshire’s smart mobility unit
• Active travel: John Lauder, deputy chief executive, Sustrans
• Freight/logistics: Peter Harris, director of sustainability, Europe, UPS
• Business: Natasha Patel, director Baringa Partners
• Business/tech: Michaela Kendall, CEO and co-founder, Adelan
• Technology: Ian Meikle, director of clean growth and infrastructure, Innovate UK
• Science and technology: Professor Robert Mair, chair of the Science Advisory Council
• Aviation: Adam Morton, chair of Sustainable Aviation.