Government announces new carbon calculator tool at Govtoday’s Sustainable Transport Conference

Published by GovToday for GovToday in Central Government and also in Environment

Transport Minister Norman Baker has announced a new carbon calculator and management tool for local authorities at Govtoday’s Annual Sustainable Transport conference in Westminster.

The tool will help local authorities demonstrate the carbon benefits of their bids to the Local Sustainable Transport Fund – a £560 million fund to encourage more sustainable travel, especially for short journeys.

The Minister arrived at the conference in a Nissan ‘Leaf’, one of only three cars of its kind currently in the UK. The Nissan ‘Leaf’ is due to begin production in Sunderland in 2013. The Minister addressed an invited audience of approximately 500 delegates.  He said:

”We have made clear that our priorities are to rebuild and reenergise the economy and deliver on our commitments on climate change.  It is even more important to be able to focus resources in light of reduced Local Authority budgets.

“The Carbon Tool fully supports Local Authorities in making their own decisions about the carbon benefits of small scale interventions. The ability to quantify the carbon benefits of proposed transport schemes can assist greatly in that prioritisation process and can assist them  in planning their  bids to the Local Sustainable Transport Fund.”

The Govtoday Sustainable Transport conference examined the Government’s policy to introduce a mixture of measures using transport to achieve economic growth, whilst simultaneously cutting our carbon emissions. With two thirds of journeys by car approximately 5 miles or less, a modal shift to more sustainable modes of transport remains the priority.