Paul Donovan on reducing carbon emissions in transport

There is a government-led drive to see all vehicles on the roads be non-fossil fuel consuming by 2035.

At local government level, infrastructure is being developed to provide for the expansion of the electric vehicle sector.

Electric vehicles reduce carbon emissions, pollution and noise. What is not to like?

Critics claim that a lot of carbon emissions are created in the manufacture of these vehicles.

Batteries containing mined elements, such as lithium, cobalt and nickel, attract particular criticism. There is also the disposal of the exhausted batteries to consider.

Cllr Paul Donovan says improving public transport will help reduce carbon emissions (Image: Paul Donovan) Critics say that the carbon emission costs in manufacturing will take a very long time to recoup over the lifetime of the vehicle.

No doubt there is some value in this criticism. However, as the technology develops, efficiencies in production should ensure the short-term damage done by these vehicles is limited.

Also, charging networks need to be sourced with renewable energy.

However, it is wrong to see replacing petrol and diesel vehicles with electric ones as the panacea to save the planet. 

The electric car has a part to play, but road vehicles generally need to be controlled. The number of cars and car journeys needs to come down. 

This can only happen if other forms of transport improve and become cheaper.

Public transport, across the country, is not of a sufficient standard or cheap enough to fill the void. Cheap, if not free, reliable public transport has a huge role in the future of how people get around. 

Of course, it needs to be run on renewable energy. 

The number of vehicles on the road would reduce substantially if free, reliable public transport was available to all. 

Road space could also be freed up if freight was largely moved from road to rail.

To achieve such a modal shift of this size would require a large investment in public transport and infrastructure.

The tax system could be used to incentivise these more sustainable modes of travel.

The future of transport in the UK should be made up of a mixture of electric vehicles, renewable energy-powered infrastructure and free, efficient public transport. 

The present incremental approach will see more and more of the country go under concrete, with the ongoing predict and provide model operating.

The present piecemeal approach creates ever greater friction between car drivers and everyone else. A more holistic approach is required, taking in all requirements to provide a sustainable and cheap system of travel for all. 

• Paul Donovan is Labour councillor for Wanstead Village ward, Redbridge Council and a blogger (paulfdonovan.blogspot.com).