14 Apr 2011 09:04:23

Govt publishes low carbon roadmap for HGVs

The UK government has published a road map for shifting commercial vehicle manufacturers towards a low carbon future, the first programme of its kind for Europe.

Vince Cable, business secretary and co-chair of the Automotive Council, a joint venture between the government and the vehicle industry, said as CO₂ emissions from cars decline, other sectors of the transportation sector must follow suit.

"This roadmap will help companies make the right investment choices as well as promote UK innovation and technology," Mr Cable added.

Included in the roadmap are timescales for the implementations of a number of technologies, including hybrid technology and alternative fuels.

Currently heavy goods vehicles account for 20 percent of the UK's transport greenhouse gas emissions, with studies claiming further proliferation of low emissions technologies is the way to reduce this figure.

The industry already has its Logistics Carbon Reduction Scheme, created by the Freight Transport Association, which asks participants to record and report their CO₂ emissions.

Transport minister Mike Penning recently gave his endorsement to the scheme, which now covers 40,000 vehicles, saying it will help the UK make progress towards its carbon reduction targets.