Zemo Partnership: New government must act swiftly to deliver net zero transport

Council for Net Zero Transport’s Lord Deben calls for an honest conversation about what will replace fuel duty – ‘Road pricing cannot be dismissed’

The new government must act swiftly to deliver net zero transport, says Zemo Partnership in new guidance on delivering a greener future.  

Transport is responsible for around a quarter of the total UK greenhouse gas emissions – making it the largest emitting sector of the economy, says the partnership.

For the UK to achieve its 2050 net-zero carbon emissions commitment, the decarbonisation of transport is an urgent priority.

The guidance sets out seven key principles to inform policy on delivering net zero transport– emphasising the importance of an economy-wide, whole-systems approach, and of maximising the many opportunities for the UK.

Supplying the goods and services to enable the global net zero transition could be worth more than £1 trillion to UK businesses between 2021 and 2030, business consultancy McKinsey estimates.

Zemo’s executive director, Claire Haigh, said: “The climate challenge is more urgent than ever. A record 15 national heat records have been broken so far in 2024. Emissions - especially from transport - will need to decline much more rapidly if the UK’s targets are to be achieved.

“The more we delay, the more the net zero transition will cost.  We must move fast to seize the opportunities. An ambitious industrial strategy would act as a catalyst for new technologies and innovation, bringing jobs and manufacturing to the UK.  If we get this right, we will build a cleaner, safer and fairer future for us all.”

Zemo Partnership is broad stakeholder partnership. A not-for-profit organisation, it has been working for over two decades to provide unbiased guidance to government and industry around the policy and initiatives needed to accelerate road transport decarbonisation.  

Delivering Net Zero Transport in the UK sets out the key principles to inform the delivery of net zero transport:

• act swiftly
• take a multi-path approach
• provide a stable policy environment
• apply net zero solutions across the whole UK economy
• deliver at national, regional and local level
• ensure a fair and just transition
• take people with us.

The report recommends an economy-wide, whole-systems approach to delivering net zero transport. It sets out the measures needed across all policy areas to bring forward investment in low carbon technologies, create the energy infrastructure needed for a decarbonised transport system, minimise the environmental impacts of the surface transport fleet and encourage greener travel choices.

The report draws on extensive consultations conducted by Zemo Partnership in 2023 and 2024, including stakeholder interviews, roundtable discussions and a series of workshops involving Zemo’s cross-sectoral membership.

To coincide with the publication, the Council for Net Zero Transport has announcef the launch of a new Strategic Advisory Group – including chief executives of cross-sector trade organisations, which are vital to the delivery of net zero transport. The council is chaired by Lord Deben, former chair of the Climate Change Committee and environment secretary.

Lord Deben commented: “Climate change will get worse every year and this means that it is crucial for the Government and industry to work together to focus on delivering the UK’s legally binding target of net zero by 2050.”

“The UK can and must deliver on the many opportunities offered by the fast-growing green economy. As we move into delivery, we must also face the difficult questions that we know must be addressed. That’s why now is the time to have an honest conversation about what will replace fuel duty. Road pricing cannot be dismissed.”

The Council for Net Zero Transport provides a high-profile focal point for the UK’s transport transition to net zero through its delivery phase to be completed by 2050. It is an independent forum to provide strategic oversight of the development of the Delivery Roadmap for Net Zero Transport.  

The council is convened by Zemo Partnership and helps to guide and inform the activities of the Partnership’s working groups and related activities.

Council members

• The Rt Hon Lord Deben (chair)Professor Jillian Anable, Chair in Transport and Energy, University of Leeds, Institute for Transport Studies
• Elizabeth de Jong, CEO, Fuels Industry UK
• Mike Hawes, CEO, Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders
• Fiona Howarth, CEO, Octopus Electric Vehicles
• Professor Neville Jackson, Chair, RAC Foundation
• Edmund King OBE, President, Automobile Association
• Cordi O’Hara OBE FEI, President, UK Electricity Distribution National Grid
• Dr Doug Parr, Chief Scientist & Policy Director, Greenpeace UK
• Anne Shaw OBE, Executive Director, Transport for the West Midlands
• Ken Skates AS/MS, Cabinet Secretary for the Economy, Transport and North Wales
• Martin Tugwell, CEO, Transport for the North
• David Wells, CEO, Logistics UK

Strategic advisory group
The support the work of the council, a new senior level group will enable key stakeholder organisations to provide evidence and make representations to inform the Delivery Roadmap for Net Zero Transport.

• Yselkla Farmer, CEO, BEAMA
• Gerry Keaney, CEO, British Vehicle Retailing and Leasing Association (BVRLA)
• Vicky Read, CEO, ChargeUK
• Graham Vidler, CEO, Confederation of Passenger Transport (CPT)
• Emma Pinchbeck, CEO, Energy UK
• Tony Campbell, CEO, MCIA
• Richard Smith, CEO, Road Haulage Association (RHA)
• Trevor Hutchings, CEO, The Association For Renewable Energy and Clean Technology