Govt offers £10m for transport decarbonisation

Applications are open for a new research centre to help decarbonise transport as part of the government’s net-zero pledges and the Road to Zero.

Decarbonisation minister Jesse Norman announced applications for organisations to host the Net Zero Transport for a Resilient Future Hub, with the aim of it becoming a UK centre of excellence for transport innovation.

The hub will aim to drive greater use of recycled materials and reduce the carbon footprint of repairs and maintenance. Additionally, it will develop innovations for future transport solutions – and ensure it is resilient to meet the challenges of climate adaptation.

2050 goals

Currently, transport accounts for 27% of the UK’s emissions and the hub will focus on the UK’s transport sector’s needs over the next 25 years as the government works to meet its 2050 net zero goals, helping to ensure the sector can build UK skills, jobs and innovation.

It will develop real-world solutions across a variety of disciplines, including architecture and design, computing and behavioural sciences – with the potential for new high-skilled job roles. Solutions for resilient infrastructure, design of the streetscape, localised climate modelling and bridging the gap between infrastructure research and policy will be explored by the hub too.

The centre is funded through UKRI’s Building a Green Future strategic theme to accelerate the UK’s transition to a secure and prosperous green economy by 2050. The theme is a partnership between government departments, industry and UKRI to fast-track the development of innovative solutions needed to meet the UK’s net zero goals, keeping the UK at the forefront of the green industrial revolution.

Key to growth

Norman said: “Innovation is key to the growth of the transport sector, and the creation of high-skilled jobs and business opportunities across the UK.

“This new UK research hub will build a centre of excellence for the future development of low-carbon transport.

UK Research and Innovation Building a Green Future lead, Professor Sir Duncan Wingham, said: “It will lead future developments to decarbonise our transport sector, a crucial component of achieving the UK’s net zero 2050 target.

“It will also help to ensure our transport systems remain resilient to hazards caused by extreme weather events and climactic changes that are already apparent.”

Image courtesy of National Highways

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