'It's demand, stupid': The failure and future of integrating climate change concerns into UK transport policy

Rayner, Tim, Russel, Duncan and Lorenzoni, Irene (2008) 'It's demand, stupid': The failure and future of integrating climate change concerns into UK transport policy. British Politics, 3 (3). pp. 373-389. ISSN 1746-9198

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Abstract

Since 1997, successive Labour Governments have prioritised action on climate change. The United Kingdom is commonly perceived to be an international leader in terms of its global diplomatic efforts and, to a lesser extent, its domestic policy response. However, the UK's carbon dioxide emissions from the transport and housing sectors are increasing. In this paper, we focus on the transport sector and examine the extent to which policies have encouraged decarbonisation, and the underlying reasons behind their relative success or failure. Despite initial good intentions, policies aimed at improved efficiency, encouragement of less polluting modes of transport and reductions in demand have fallen short. Underlying this failure, we argue that the transport sector's traditional prioritising of the immediate economic implications of policy and the government's fear of being seen to impinge upon personal mobility have resulted in too strong a reliance on technological solutions rather than measures that seek to curb demand through behavioural change. We conclude by arguing that unless demand for carbon intensive forms of transport is reduced, the government will struggle to meet its increasingly ambitious carbon dioxide reduction targets, but that important new legislative initiatives at national and EU level offer chances for a more concerted approach.

Item Type:	Article
Uncontrolled Keywords:	sdg 13 - climate action ,/dk/atira/pure/sustainabledevelopmentgoals/climate_action
Faculty \ School:	Faculty of Science > School of Environmental Sciences University of East Anglia Research Groups/Centres > Theme - ClimateUEA
UEA Research Groups:	Faculty of Science > Research Groups > Science, Society and Sustainability Faculty of Science > Research Groups > Environmental Social Sciences University of East Anglia Schools > Faculty of Science > Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research Faculty of Science > Research Centres > Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research Faculty of Science > Research Groups > Marine Knowledge Exchange Network Faculty of Science > Research Groups > Collaborative Centre for Sustainable Use of the Seas
Depositing User:	Rosie Cullington
Date Deposited:	26 Feb 2011 11:19
Last Modified:	15 Jun 2023 18:30
URI:	https://ueaeprints.uea.ac.uk/id/eprint/24662
DOI:	10.1057/bp.2008.9

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