Developing an effective response to climate change within the transport sector is proving an intractable problem. The importance of transport in contributing to reduced levels of greenhouse gas (GHG) and carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions is clear, yet the mechanisms to achieve this are not.
Urban sprawl, private car use and rising incomes are resulting in new spatial patterns of movement and increased travel. Road transport is a major contributor to UK CO2 emissions, making up around 25% of total emissions. The building of sustainable communities consistent with reducing climate change impacts and minimising CO2 emissions poses serious difficulties for practitioners.
Using scenario building and backcasting approaches, Halcrow has worked with various levels of government in the UK and internationally to explore these issues, including:
- The development of low carbon transport strategies, including a series of ‘Visioning and Backcasting for Transport’ studies (VIBAT)
- Multi-criteria appraisal of investments and initiatives, including ‘Integrated Transport Decision Support and Simulation’ studies (INTRA-SIM)
- Assessment of the CO2 impacts of major projects and strategies
- Assessment of CO2 and wider sustainability impacts as part of major transport strategies, such as a number of the recent Delivering a Sustainable Transport Strategy (DaSTS) studies