EconPapers    
Economics at your fingertips  
 

Transport and climate change: Simulating the options for carbon reduction in London

Robin Hickman (), Olu Ashiru and David Banister

Transport Policy, 2010, vol. 17, issue 2, 110-125

Abstract: Transport is a major user of carbon-based fuels, and it is increasingly being highlighted as the sector which contributes least to CO2 emission reduction targets. This paper reports on the findings of the VIBAT London study (www.vibat.org) which considers the role of the transport sector in reducing CO2 emissions in London. The analysis develops a transport and carbon simulation model (TC-SIM) for London. Within this, users are able to consider the implementation of a series of potential policy packages--low emission vehicles, alternative fuels, pricing regimes, public transport, walking and cycling, strategic and local urban planning, information and communication technologies, smarter choices, ecological driving and slower speeds, long distance travel substitution, freight transport and international air. They can select variable levels of application to help achieve headline CO2 emission reduction targets. The roles of carbon rationing and oil prices are also considered. TC-SIM can be played in different user modes: as 'free riders', 'techno-optimists', 'enviro-optimists', 'complacent car addicts' and other typical travel market segments, including a 'free role'. Game playing or scenario testing such as this helps to highlight perceived levels of homogeneity of views within certain cohorts, the development of entrenched positions and the likely success in achieving objectives. The paper develops various policy packages, scenarios and pathways aimed at reducing transport CO2 emissions. It argues that strategic CO2 emission reduction targets are very ambitious relative to current progress, and that we need to act more effectively across a wide range of policy mechanisms, with a 'high intensity application' of many of the options, to get near to achieving these targets. A critical issue here will be in communicating and gaining greater 'ownership' of future lifestyle choices with stakeholders and the public, and participation tools such as TC-SIM could become increasingly important in this area.

Keywords: Transport; Climate; change; Carbon; Scenarios; Policy; packages; London (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2010
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (46)

Downloads: (external link)
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0967-070X(09)00143-7
Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:trapol:v:17:y:2010:i:2:p:110-125

Ordering information: This journal article can be ordered from
http://www.elsevier.com/wps/find/supportfaq.cws_home/regional
https://shop.elsevie ... _01_ooc_1&version=01

Access Statistics for this article

Transport Policy is currently edited by Y. Hayashi

More articles in Transport Policy from Elsevier
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Catherine Liu ().

 
Page updated 2025-03-31
Handle: RePEc:eee:trapol:v:17:y:2010:i:2:p:110-125