The government should halt all new roads unless there are exceptional circumstances, the government’s climate advisers are likely to say next week.
On Wednesday the Committee on Climate Change will publish its latest report on the UK’s progress in dealing with the climate crisis. Speaking at Glastonbury on Friday, the climate change committee chair, Lord Deben, said new roads inevitably increased traffic and emissions.
The report is likely to advise that any new developments that make climate breakdown worse should be banned.
If the recommendation is followed through, it would sound the death knell for the government’s road-building programme – and had it been adopted earlier, it would have meant the high-speed HS2 rail line would never have been approved. According to HS2’s own forecasts, even over 120 years, its overall construction and operation will cause carbon emissions of 1.49m tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent, albeit offset by the wider decarbonisation of transport it helps create. Some road freight will move to rail as HS2 will enable the wider network to take more freight.
Deben, who retires as CCC chair in the coming weeks, also said it was a “scandal” new homes that would continue to contribute to climate change through heating, cooking and poor insulation were still being built. The government is moving towards making homes less polluting, and has pledged £1.8bn to boost energy efficiency and cut emissions from homes and public buildings across England.
The Department for Transport has said that road building was still needed to create jobs, and suggested that electric cars would solve pollution problems. However, some say the claim of job creation is no longer justified at a time of labour shortages. And experts warn that electric cars, with their high demand for minerals and extra weight, will still lead to pollution.
Grant Shapps, when transport secretary, admitted that total vehicle mileage must be cut if the government is to meet its climate targets. But recently ministers have slashed the budget for improving conditions for cyclists and pedestrians.
The CCC itself came under fire at Glastonbury from Prof Kevin Anderson, a climate physicist, who told the meeting that the committee based its findings on what was politically achievable rather than what was really needed to protect the climate. He argued that net zero was a flawed concept which allowed CO2 levels to continue to grow and gave firms a free pass to carry on emitting.
Deben denied the accusation, and said it was pointless offering people a totally pessimistic outlook because it would deter them from taking action.
The Department for Business and Trade was approached for comment.
