West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) wants people to stay at home after Covid-19 to help meet net zero and Paris Agreement climate targets.
WMCA has published a 5-year plan (2021-2026) (1) (2) as part of its policy for achieving net zero carbon dioxide emissions by 2041. As always, car use is top of the ‘behaviour change’ hit list regardless of whether the car is petrol, diesel or electric. By 2026 the percentage of trips by car should fall from the current 63% to 59% and to just 35% by 2041. Personal and retail trips are also targetted for a 25% reduction by 2041 along with 35% of people working from home or local hubs 50% of the time.
ABD Environment spokesman Paul Biggs said: “From the outset of Covid-19 restrictions we have been concerned about the exploitation of the pandemic for other agendas under the guise of ‘Build Back Better’ and wondered if we’ll ever get our freedoms back. The post pandemic plans of national and local governments suggest that we won’t unless voters stand up to environmental totalitarianism that is bypassing any proper democratic process or cost:benefit analysis.”
Reducing the UK’s less than 1% contribution to global man-made carbon dioxide emissions to net zero by 2050 would reduce global average temperature by an unmeasureable 0.014C by 2100. Similarly, even if all the countries signed up to the Paris Agreement keep their emissions reductions promises, the reduction in carbon dioxide emissions for 2016 – 2100 achieves only 1% of the emissions reductions required for the 1.5C target (3). The costly climate agenda is all about controlling YOU, not the climate.
Ends
Notes for editors
(1) WMCA 5-year plan (2021-2026) executive summary:
https://www.wmca.org.uk/media/4745/wmca-five-year-plan-summary.pdf
(2) Local Transport Today: Staying at home more will help climate fight, says WMCA:
https://www.transportxtra.com/publications/local-transport-today/news/68437/staying-at-home-more-will-help-with-climate-fight-says-wmca
(3) Welfare in the 21st century: Increasing development, reducing inequality, the impact of climate change, and the cost of climate policies:
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0040162520304157
Over 70% of the worlds surface is water, hence no vehicles and the UK represents about 0.16 of the remaining 30% land mass.
So how much do UK drivers influence CO2 levels?
See: https://www.nationmaster.com/country-info/stats/Geography/Land-area/Square-miles
This is all about getting YOU and your family ‘out of your cars’ which includes electric vehicles! !