UK Traffic Pollution

Cutting emissions on Britain’s roads remains a significant challenge. Britain’s greenhouse gas emissions from road transport have continued to grow since 1990 despite more efficient cars because traffic has increased by almost a third. Campaigners said the figures showed car use had to be curbed, and that private vehicles were “locking us in to a high-carbon future”.

More fuel-efficient vehicles have mitigated but not stopped the increase in emissions, as traffic rates rose from 255bn miles travelled a year in 1990 to 328bn miles in 2018.

Greenhouse gas emissions, primarily carbon emissions, or CO2, peaked in 2007 before levels of road traffic tumbled during the financial crisis. But road emissions have steadily risen again since 2013 to more than 118m tonnes in 2017, more than a fifth of the UK’s total emissions.

Jenny Bates, a campaigner at Friends of the Earth, said:

“Despite noise made by vehicle manufacturers about cleaner petrol and diesel technology, transport is still the most climate-polluting sector and it’s clear petrol and diesel sales have to stop as soon as possible. Admittedly there has been some progress but the ever-increasing number of car miles is still locking us in to a high-carbon future, as well as causing health-damaging air pollution. The only way to stop transport from leading us to further climate breakdown is to drastically cut the miles travelled by car. Cleaner options such as bicycles, buses and trains need to me made more accessible and more affordable, which will be good for the health of people and the planet.”