The Rt Hon Grant Shapps MP, Secretary of State for Transport said: “Low carbon fuels (LCFs) have been instrumental in reducing the UK’s greenhouse gas emissions for more than a decade. Transport has a huge role to play in achieving net zero, and greener fuels are critical to that transition.
“Our Transport Decarbonisation Plan commits us to harnessing the full potential of LCFs to grow domestic industry and jobs, making the most of the outstanding technical expertise and capacity we have in the UK. To draw all this work together, we will publish a Low Carbon Fuels Strategy.”
Industry can shape the strategy
A detailed consultation document has been drawn up that summarises the progress made so far and sets out the future opportunities and challenges for low carbon fuels in across the transport sector – including road, rail, maritime, aviation, and off-road machinery.
Shapps continued: “Now we are calling on industry and stakeholders to help shape that strategy. Your responses will help us get it right. This is also an invitation to share your views through workshop discussions, and written submissions, which we hope will stimulate productive conversations.
Confirming that the continued adoption of low carbon fuels will ‘complement the shift towards public transport, active travel and electric vehicles’ Shapps also urges caution, warning that: “We must be careful to preserve robust sustainability standards, so that low carbon fuel production brings clear benefits, without creating any further environmental problems.”
He said: “Our Transport Decarbonisation Plan commits us to harnessing the full potential of LCFs to grow domestic industry and jobs, making the most of the outstanding technical expertise and capacity we have in the UK.
A clear vision for decarbonising transport
“The Strategy’s ultimate goal is to set a clear and practical vision for low carbon fuels. With your help, we can maximise the potential of LCFs for the UK economy, create thousands of new jobs, and play our part in fighting climate change.”
Views and ideas are invited on the following areas from anyone taking an interest in the development and deployment of LCFs and the decarbonisation of transport:
- Are important trends, risks and opportunities sufficiently captured in the document?
- What are the key challenges and opportunities that need to be addressed to help maximise the environmental and economic benefits of LCFs?
- What actions and measures need to be prioritised as part of developing the LCFs strategy?
The deadline for responses is 11.45 on 3 April 2022.
Submissions will be taken into consideration in the second phase of the strategy development and supported through stakeholder workshops in the first half of 2022 to inform the final strategy document.
Responses should be submitted to: LCFstrategy@dft.gov.uk
Low Carbon Fuels Strategy. Department for Transport, Low Carbon Fuels Division, Great Minster House, 33 Horseferry Road, London, SW1P 4DR