With the doubling of the number of electric vehicles in the north of England, the government are starting to see their net zero plans take off.
The Secretary of State for Transport will be meeting with authority leaders in the north as part of the Northern Transportation Acceleration Council, where green transport innovation, a key part of the wider net zero ambition, will be discussed.
Also on the agenda will be the government’s recently published Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Strategy, which will be backed by £1.6 billion in funding to help create the infrastructure to allow for more electric vehicles on the roads of northern England.
Grant Shapps, Secretary of State for Transport, said:
“With a £2.5 billion cash injection, the UK continues to be a global front-runner in the switch to electric vehicles – helping drivers to save money on fuel while moving towards our net zero targets.
I’m pleased to be meeting with colleagues today to ensure the north of England has the support it needs for an emission-free transport future, as we clean up our air and support green jobs across the nation.”
Alongside the environmental benefits of the government’s movement towards net zero transport, there is also the added benefit that up to 40,000 new automotive jobs will be supported, helping local communities to continue their growth and prosperity plans. With net zero at the front of the minds of government at both a central and local level, this development will only support the overarching plan to phase out the sale of new petrol and diesel vehicles by 2030, which will be a significant step towards achieving national net zero carbon emissions.
Watch our virtual event on Public Sector Decarbonisation on demand here: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLkb8OoIMGD3sHGOoepHBPYQlXFDgAWiMg
