ICE responds to Green Industrial Revolution announcement

Responding to the government's announcement of a proposed Green Industrial Revolution, Chris Richards, ICE Director of Policy, said:

“The commitments outlined in the government’s 10-point plan for tackling climate change are a step in the right direction for the UK meeting its ambitious net-zero emissions target by 2050.

“In particular, bringing forward the point at which the sale of petrol and diesel vehicles will be phased out to 2030 is welcome. Yet, with electric vehicles currently exempt from paying VED and the diminishing impact that this will have on fuel duty revenues, there is a need to think carefully about how road upgrades and maintenance will be funded over the long-term.

“Moreover, today’s announcements do not spell out what the government’s overall plans are for joining-up efforts across departments to tackle climate change. A net-zero infrastructure plan that draws together policy and investment interventions in doing this is urgently required if the UK is to meet its commitments. We expect this to be detailed in the National Infrastructure Strategy and Energy White Paper when they are both published next week.”