Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the net zero targets are for (a) their Department and (b) its arm’s-length bodies; and whether guidance has been issued on adopting net zero targets earlier than 2050.

The Department for Transport (DfT), the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA), the Vehicle Certification Agency (VCA), the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA), Office of Rail and Road (ORR), Trinity House, Transport Focus, the Traffic Commissioners for Great Britain, the Civil Aviation Authority, and Active Travel England (ATE) are committed to achieving the UK Government’s Net Zero Carbon target by 2050. The Department for Transport also holds policy responsibility for ensuring greenhouse gas emissions from in-use transport and transport infrastructure construction reduce in line with the legislated economy-wide target of net zero by 2050.

The position in terms of other Department for Transport bodies is set out below.

The Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) supports the Maritime Decarbonisation Strategy. This includes reducing fuel lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions by 30 per cent by 2030, 80 per cent by 2040, and achieving zero emissions by 2050.

• National Highways has committed to achieving Net Zero Carbon for its own operations by 2030 and achieving Net Zero emissions for its maintenance and construction by 2040. National Highways is also supporting the transition to Net Zero for travel on our roads by 2050.
• Network Rail have committed to the railway in Scotland being net zero by 2045 and the railways across the rest of Britain being Net Zero by 2050.

• The British Transport Police have committed to being, operationally, Net Zero by 2035.

• East West Rail has committed to creating a Net Zero passenger railway by 2050.

• HS2 Limited has committed to its corporate activities being Net Zero by 2025. It has also committed to its trains, stations, depots and rail infrastructure using zero carbon energy, reducing emissions to Net Zero by 2035. HS2 has also committed to undertaking carbon offsetting using natural or technological methods to reduce any emissions, that cannot be eliminated, to zero.

• The Northern Lighthouse Board (NLB) has committed to achieving Net Zero by 2050. Operating the NLB vessels accounts for around 80% of its emissions and in 2025 NLB took delivery of a new hybrid vessel which will meet the ambitious targets set out in the UK Government Clean Maritime Plan.

All other arm’s-length bodies will be expected to adopt the existing 2050 target or develop their own based on their operational impacts.