What role does international travel play in people’s understanding of their personal carbon footprint? How do people think about occasional large-emitting activities versus day-to-day small changes?

Background

The reducing environmental impacts strategic priority is in recognition that there is an environmental aspect to all transport, and therefore almost all the work of DfT. Transport is the largest emitting sector of greenhouse gases in the UK, contributing 27% of domestic emissions in 2019. Our transport system must change to deliver the government’s Net Zero ambition and DfT will drive forwards that change through our longer-term green transport agenda. On decarbonisation specifically, we published our Transport decarbonisation plan (TDP) in July 2021, which sets out the steps we will take to deliver the necessary carbon reductions across every form of transport. Sustainability will be at the heart of levelling-up. People everywhere will feel the benefits – villages, towns, cities, and countryside will be cleaner, greener, healthier and more prosperous and pleasant environments in which to live and work

Next steps

Get in touch with bridgetoresearch@dft.gov.uk

Source

This question was published as part of the set of ARIs in this document:

DFT-Areas of research interest 2023 GOV UK

Related UKRI funded projects

  • SANDPIT - Disruption: the raw material for low carbon change

    Evidence suggests that we will need to change our travel habits and practices radically if we are to reduce the carbon emissions from transport to meet government and international targets. Technological developments suc...

    Funded by: EPSRC

    Why might this be relevant?

    The project explores how disruptions in travel can lead to permanent carbon-reducing changes, which directly addresses the question.

  • Sandpit: Transport Behaviours Network.

    This Network extends the December 2010, UK Research Councils Ideas Factory "Transport Grand Challenge: Travel behaviour, habits and practice". The Ideas Factory drew attention to the significant contribution th...

    Funded by: EPSRC

  • Providing realtime Information for Personal Travel (PIPT)

    PIPT will help develop ‘Carbon Diem’ (conceived by Carbon Hero, working with industry partner InterfaceFLOR, sustainability and UX experts Wax-RDC and dissemination advocates from the Centre for Sustainable Deisgn), a mo...

    Funded by: Innovate UK

    Why might this be relevant?

    The project focuses on monitoring and calculating carbon impact of travel, but does not specifically address the role of international travel or the comparison between large-emitting activities and day-to-day changes.

  • ICF: Healthy Low-Carbon Transport Hub (HLTH)

    Accelerated transport decarbonisation is essential for the UK to meet CO2e emissions requirements. Measures adopted must maximise physical/mental health co-benefits, but this has not been the case historically. Replacing...

    Funded by: MRC

    Lead research organisation: University of Southampton

  • MyFairShare: Individual Mobility Budgets as a Foundation for Social and Ethical Carbon Reduction

    Reducing carbon emissions is one of the most important goals to prevent the world from disastrous future consequences of climate change. The transport sector requires specific actions, as it proves most difficult to deca...

    Funded by: ESRC

  • ADAPT fellowship: smart approaches to influencing sustainable behaviour change

    This EPSRC/LWEC Challenge Fellowship addresses the question "How can our cities, their hinterlands, linking infrastructure, rural surround and the regions they are in, be transformed to be resilient, sustainable, mo...

    Funded by: EPSRC

  • Providing insights into multi-day traveller behaviour to inform sustainable transport policies and practices

    A good understanding of traveller behaviour underpins all policies which are effective in influencing travel behaviour to reduce congestion, increase activity levels, improve air quality and/or reduce carbon emissions. I...

    Funded by: ESRC

  • Understanding walking and cycling

    It is widely recognised that an increase in walking and cycling for short journeys in urban areas could significantly reduce traffic congestion, improve the quality of the urban environment, promote improved personal hea...

    Funded by: EPSRC

  • Modelling on the Move: Towards Transport System Transitions?

    This seminar series will bring together researchers from different disciplines and practitioners to discuss innovative ways of responding to pressing policy problems. Twenty-first century societies face three interlinked...

    Funded by: ESRC

  • SANDPIT - 'Reflect': A feasibility study in experienced utility and travel behaviour

    Travel behaviours have shown considerable resistance to change, but substantial change is needed because reduced emissions cannot be secured from technical innovation alone. Our focus is on a new way to engage with, and ...

    Funded by: EPSRC