Car use in the West of England region needs to almost halve to meet net zero climate targets by 2030. Over the past 15 years, almost no progress has been made locally on reducing carbon dioxide emissions from transport, according to the latest analysis.
Transport is the largest local contributor to carbon emissions, without even counting shipping or flying. The number of miles driven in private cars needs to be reduced by 40 per cent, according to the West of England Combined Authority, meaning both fewer trips and shorter journeys.
Better fuel efficiency and growing use of alternative modes of transport have been offset by a rising number of car journeys, and cars generally becoming larger with a trend towards huge sports utility vehicles (SUVs). Last year 52 per cent of people in the region travelled to work by car.
