Tools to encourage low-carbon travel
Topics: Energy and Low-Carbon Futures
Type: Discussion papers
Publication date: October 2020
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Summary
Author: Rosanna Hine
This discussion paper assesses how different travel incentive schemes affect consumer travel choices, and explores how policymakers and the private sector can support innovative low-carbon incentives to help drive down emissions in the transport sector.
Headlines
- Behavioural changes are a key dimension of decarbonising the transport sector, and incentive schemes provide a way forward for encouraging low-carbon travel choices.
- With appropriate support and actions from government, businesses, civil society and others, low-carbon incentive schemes can increase in scale and reach a greater part of the public, leading to more significant emissions reductions.
- Low-carbon schemes rely on parallel public, or public-private, investment in infrastructure. Financial support for businesses supplying the market with low-carbon transport alternatives may also be important.
- High-profile travel rewards schemes such as Air Miles currently have adverse effects on emissions and are likely to require stricter regulation and corporate social responsibility (CSR) commitments to facilitate a shift to low-carbon modes of transport.
- The UK government has an opportunity to become a leader in supporting innovative low-carbon transport incentive schemes in the run-up to COP26 and as part of a green recovery from COVID-19.
Download: Tools to encourage low-carbon travel [PDF]
[Image: Si-Gal via istock]