Asked by: Lord Oates (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of (1) linear motor technology developed in the UK, and (2) how such technology can be used to decarbonise the transfer and delivery of goods.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton
Decarbonising transport will require us to embrace new technology and innovation, and multiple solutions will have essential parts to play. Innovate UK is currently part-funding a UK based project to identify the standards and procedures required to design, build, operate and qualify an Underground Freight Transportation system using linear motors, which will report in 2021.
Testing new technology and business models at scale is essential and that is why we have already invested £92 million in four Future Transport Zones (FTZs). These will support local leaders and industry to trial new approaches and we have committed £20m towards mass scale demonstration of zero emission freight in the next year. Our further plans for the decarbonisation of freight will form part of the Transport Decarbonisation Plan which is due to be published by Spring 2021.
Asked by: Lord Oates (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what measures they are taking to support the introduction of (1) linear motors, and (2) other new technologies, which can be used to decarbonise the transfer and delivery of goods.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton
Decarbonising transport will require us to embrace new technology and innovation, and multiple solutions will have essential parts to play. Innovate UK is currently part-funding a UK based project to identify the standards and procedures required to design, build, operate and qualify an Underground Freight Transportation system using linear motors, which will report in 2021.
Testing new technology and business models at scale is essential and that is why we have already invested £92 million in four Future Transport Zones (FTZs). These will support local leaders and industry to trial new approaches and we have committed £20m towards mass scale demonstration of zero emission freight in the next year. Our further plans for the decarbonisation of freight will form part of the Transport Decarbonisation Plan which is due to be published by Spring 2021.
Asked by: Lord Oates (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the potential for existing road and rail corridors to be utilised for automated goods movement systems; and whether they have included technologies such as linear motors in any such assessment.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton
Decarbonising transport will require us to embrace new technology and innovation, and multiple solutions will have essential parts to play. Innovate UK is currently part-funding a UK based project to identify the standards and procedures required to design, build, operate and qualify an Underground Freight Transportation system using linear motors, which will report in 2021.
Testing new technology and business models at scale is essential and that is why we have already invested £92 million in four Future Transport Zones (FTZs). These will support local leaders and industry to trial new approaches and we have committed £20m towards mass scale demonstration of zero emission freight in the next year. Our further plans for the decarbonisation of freight will form part of the Transport Decarbonisation Plan which is due to be published by Spring 2021.
Asked by: Lord Oates (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact on the climate from indirect warming caused by condensation trails from cruising aircraft.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton
The recent publication “The Contribution of global aviation to anthropogenic climate forcing for 2000 to 2018” by Lee et al., 2020 presents the most up to date scientific analysis of aviation’s climate impacts, including contrails. The publication shows that contrail cirrus formation accounts for a large proportion of aviation's climate impact, however large uncertainties remain in determining the climate effects of contrail formation.
As stated in the 2018 Aviation 2050 consultation, the Government will continue to keep non-CO2 emissions from aviation under review and adjust its policy as more evidence becomes available.
I will place a copy of “The Contribution of global aviation to anthropogenic climate forcing for 2000 to 2018” by Lee et al., 2020 in the libraries of both Houses.
Asked by: Lord Oates (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the extent to which regulatory arrangements to limit the impact on the climate of aviation once the transition period for the UK’s departure from the EU has ended will be sufficiently collaborative across adjoining airspaces.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton
The Government remains committed to leading ambitious and concerted international action to combat the contribution of aviation to climate change.
At the end of the Transition Period, EU airspace regulations covering requirements on flight efficiency will be retained as UK law.
The UK will also establish a UK Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) that supports our world leading climate ambition. The UK ETS will include aviation and impose surrendering obligations on the following routes from day one: UK domestic flights, flights departing the UK to aerodromes in the European Economic Area (EEA), and flights between the UK and Gibraltar.
Asked by: Lord Oates (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to review the regulatory framework for climate impact offsetting to account for both the direct and indirect climate impact of aviation.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton
As a contracting state of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) the UK will participate in the globally agreed Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA) from January 2021. Under the scheme, aeroplane operators on routes between participating states will be required to offset the CO2 emissions above 2019 levels by purchasing and cancelling approved offset credits.
Currently, CORSIA only applies to CO2 emissions. Due to the uncertainties surrounding aviation’s non-CO2 climate impacts, ICAO does not include these in its climate policies.
The UK played an instrumental role in agreeing CORSIA through ICAO and continues to negotiate for greater environmental integrity within the scheme.
Asked by: Lord Oates (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the possible (1) technological, and (2) regulatory, solutions available to help prevent the formation of aircraft contrails.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton
The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) recently produced a report titled “Updated analysis of the non-CO2 climate impacts of aviation and potential policy measures pursuant to EU Emissions Trading System Directive Article 30(4)” for the European Commission, which identified three policies that could be implemented to prevent the formation of aircraft contrails: a reduction in aromatics in jet fuel; mandatory use of sustainable fuel; and avoidance of ice-supersaturated airspace.
The UK is pushing internationally for investigation of how to reduce aromatics in jet fuel and plans to consult domestically on a sustainable aviation fuel mandate. However, significant uncertainties remain meaning that policies which risk increasing aviation CO2 emissions, such as rerouting aircraft, cannot be taken forward with confidence that aviation's total climate impact would be reduced.
The Government will continue to keep this issue under review and adjust its policy where necessary.
I will place a copy of the European Union Aviation Safety Agency report in the libraries of both Houses.
Asked by: Lord Oates (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their target for the number of operational hydrogen filling stations in the UK by 2025.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton
The Government does not have targets for the number of operational hydrogen filling stations and hydrogen fuel cell vehicles owned and in operation in the UK by 2025. We are confident that the UK is well placed to be a leader in hydrogen fuel cell powered transportation and we are supporting hydrogen where the market favours its use. The UK already has one of the largest hydrogen refuelling station networks in Europe, and our £23m Hydrogen for Transport Programme is delivering new refuelling stations, upgrading some existing stations as well as deploying hundreds of new hydrogen vehicles.
Asked by: Lord Oates (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their target for the number of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles owned and in operation in the UK by 2025.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton
The Government does not have targets for the number of operational hydrogen filling stations and hydrogen fuel cell vehicles owned and in operation in the UK by 2025. We are confident that the UK is well placed to be a leader in hydrogen fuel cell powered transportation and we are supporting hydrogen where the market favours its use. The UK already has one of the largest hydrogen refuelling station networks in Europe, and our £23m Hydrogen for Transport Programme is delivering new refuelling stations, upgrading some existing stations as well as deploying hundreds of new hydrogen vehicles.