The road from Copenhagen - draft strategy for ITS (UK) to address Climate Change and Carbon reduction issues

摘要

The summit in Copenhagen in December 2009 focussed the world's attention on Climate Change and Greenhouse Gas reduction. The Copenhagen Accord set an objective of limiting warming to no more than 2°C.rnTransport is a significant emitter of CO2, nationally and internationally. ITS can be used in a number of ways to reduce the CO2 emissions from transport. Climate Change may result in a significant increase in weather events that disrupt transport networks. ITS can assist with adaptation to the effects of Climate Change by reducing the disruptions to travel as a result of weather events. This paper sets out a draft strategy on how ITS (UK) might address the issues related to Climate Change and Greenhouse Gas Emissions reduction.rnThe paper reviews the outcome of the Copenhagen Summit which took place in December 2009. It highlights the key issues from a UK perspective, with particular emphasis on the first annual report from the Committee for Climate Change.rnThe paper then highlights a number of opportunities that exist for the industry and ITS (UK) in four main areas:rn• Policy support - opportunities that centre on the key elements of the Greenhouse Gas reduction policyrn• Step changes - opportunities that arise from potential step changes in policy (i.e. reducing and enforcing speed limits, road user charging etc)rn• Changes to business as usual - how business practices may need to be addressed in a new way to meet the challenge of Greenhouse Gas reductionrn• Related opportunities - other areas that need to be considered as part of a strategy to understand the wider aspects of the Climate Change challengernClimate Change and Carbon reduction represent a significant challenge for the UK as a whole. The ambitious targets for Carbon reduction in the short term (up to 2022) present a significant challenge to the transport sector. For ITS technology and the ITS industry there is a significant opportunity to assist and support the transport sector in reducing Carbon emissions. This paper should be seen as a step in the journey to reducing Carbon emissions from the transport sector.rnThe next step is to engage the industry in a dialogue around the opportunities outlined in this document. There is a workshop organised by the ITS (UK) Carbon Working Group on the 1st July 2010 at Newcastle University to help facilitate the process of engagement. The views of the ITS (UK) Interest Groups and other interested parties will be sought in the run up to the workshop. After the workshop it is anticipated that this strategy will be expanded and updated.Climate Change AdaptationrnThe IPCC reports and the Climate Change forecasts, produced by the UK Met Office, highlight that a certain degree of Climate Change is inevitable. The Copenhagen Accord has the aspiration of limiting temperature increase to 2°C. In this context it is key to understand what impacts the changes in climate and weather conditions might have on the UK. Managing change in real time when networks are stressed or disrupted is one of the key strengths of ITS. The opportunity here is to understand how ITS might be applied to the area of Climate Change Adaptation.rnCarbon Tools and Climate Change informationrnGreenhouse Gas Emissions and in particular CO2 emissions have to be estimated, based on particular activities that are undertaken. The tools that are used for that estimation need to be consistent and independently verifiable. The setting of baselines and targets for particular activities is also key to understanding aspirations and measuring achievement. There are a number of different tools available or in development that address these issues. The opportunity here is for the ITS industry to take a view on what tools and monitoring / measurement techniques are suitable for determining the impacts of ITS. The understanding of Climate Change and its impacts is an ongoing area of research. Within the industry and in the wider public arena there are different, competing views. The opportunity is to provide useful information to assist in developing policies and strategies for the future.