Responding to today’s announcement by the Prime Minister on government plans for a ‘green industrial revolution’, Sir John Armitt, Chair of the National Infrastructure Commission, said:
“A 2030 deadline for the sale of new petrol and diesel cars and vans is a vital step to help the UK meet our net zero target. It’s an important signal to the market, and one we’ve been calling for since we assessed the UK’s biggest infrastructure challenges two years ago.
“We’ve also recommended a 2040 ban on the sale of new diesel HGVs, and welcome government’s plans to consult on this question.
“Among the various proposals on green energy, it is encouraging to see government preparing to place a strategic bet on hydrogen across a wide range of uses. Replacing gas as our primary heat source is probably the single biggest net zero challenge we face and the new target on heat pump installation is an important step up in ambition.
“Today’s announcement offers positive steps on a number of fronts, but to ensure industry can plan for the long term these initiatives need to be set within a wider strategy that prepares our infrastructure for the challenges of tomorrow. We look forward to seeing a comprehensive National Infrastructure Strategy in the near future.”
Notes
- The National Infrastructure Commission was established in 2015 to provide the UK government with impartial, expert advice on major long term infrastructure challenges.
- The Commission first set out the need for infrastructure investment to enable a ban on new diesel and petrol cars by 2030 in its National Infrastructure Assessment, published in 2018.
- In 2019, a Commission study on the future of freight called for government to announce plans by the end of 2021 to ban the sale of new diesel powered HGVs no later than 2040.
- A National Infrastructure Strategy, the government’s formal response to the Commission’s assessment, is expected to be published before the end of 2020.
