I have been asked to circulate the following information by the UK Low 
Carbon Vehicles Partnership

Best regards

Greg

LOW CARBON VEHICLE PARTNERSHIP NEWS RELEASE

21 July 2005



Partnership issues ‘challenge’ to inspire new policy proposals and 
initiatives to reduce climate impacts of road transport

The Low Carbon Vehicle Partnership is today issuing a challenge to the 
UK’s transport policy and academic communities to contribute original or 
innovative proposals to enable the UK to accelerate the shift to low 
carbon vehicles and fuels and help meet climate change targets. 

By 2050 the UK Government aims to reduce UK emissions of carbon dioxide by 
60%. Road transport contributes around a quarter of the UK’s total 
emissions of this most significant greenhouse gas. The Government has also 
set a target for sales of low carbon cars of 10% by 2012. Sales of these 
vehicles presently represent less than 0.1% of market share.

The ‘Low Carbon Road Transport Challenge’ is intended to bring forward 
policy proposals and other initiatives that will be tested and validated 
by representatives of the 168-member Low Carbon Vehicle Partnership 
(LowCVP). The best proposals will be presented at a major conference in 
Spring 2006. Leading representatives from the Government, motor, fuels and 
related industries will be present at the conference. LowCVP will invite a 
Government minister to respond to the Challenge submissions.

The Challenge is supported by the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change 
Research, a leading academic network which focuses on policy advice to 
mitigate climate change. The Centre will raise awareness of the initiative 
amongst relevant communities and advise on other aspects of the process.

The Challenge is primarily aimed at those involved in 
transport/environment policy studies who may be located in ‘think-tanks’, 
academia or within other NGOs. Some are already partners in the LowCVP, 
but a specific intention of the initiative is to engage organisations and 
individuals who are not yet active in the Partnership. No organisation, 
within or without the Partnership will be excluded from submitting a 
proposal.

The Low Carbon Vehicle Partnership seeks original or innovative proposals 
that have the potential to contribute towards carbon reduction targets, 
including those outlined in the Government’s 2002 ‘Powering Future 
Vehicles’ Strategy. Initial proposals should fall within one (or more) of 
the subject areas listed below:

-         fiscal and regulatory measures 

-         consumer information 

-         motor/fuels industry protocols or voluntary measures

-         promoting industry co-operation/harmonising the low carbon 
supply chain

Introducing the Challenge, the LowCVP Director Greg Archer said: “I 
believe that this is the sort of initiative that the Partnership was 
created for. I hope that the UK’s policy-influencing and academic 
communities will come forward with some innovative ideas that will help us 
take some significant steps forward in the battle to mitigate climate 
change.”

“Those taking up the Challenge will have the opportunity to gain 
significant exposure and publicity for their ideas, enhance the 
credibility of their proposals and have the potential to influence policy 
development.”

Professor Mike Hulme, Director of the Tyndall Centre said: "Climate Change 
presents society with immense new challenges, especially in the area of 
road transport. We need creative and practical solutions which are both 
radical yet sympathetic to people's aspirations for a better future. The 
Tyndall Centre welcomes this initiative and intends to participate 
actively to help make it a success.”

Environment Minister Elliot Morley, whose official car is an energy-
efficient electric-hybrid Toyota Prius, said: 

" I am delighted to see that the Low Carbon Vehicle Partnership is also 
issuing a 'challenge' to the transport and academic communities to come up 
with vital solutions to enable the UK to accelerate the shift to low 
carbon fuels and vehicles as part of the drive to reduce carbon emissions 
and combat man-made climate change."

The Government has recently announced that, as part of the UK's G8 and EU 
Presidencies, it is to host an Environmentally Friendly Vehicles 
Conference at the National Motorcycle Museum, near Birmingham, on November 
10-11. This will provide an opportunity for those within and outside the 
motor sector to demonstrate how they are producing the greener vehicles of 
the future.  

 

The various stages of the Low Carbon Road Transport Challenge will be 
covered by leading transport policy journal, ‘Local Transport Today’, 
which will also be collaborating in the initiative and participating in 
the 2006 conference.



Notes to Editors

1.      Further details and information about taking up the ‘Low Carbon 
Transport Challenge’ will appear on the LowCVP web-site: www.lowcvp.org.uk 
The 2006 Conference is currently scheduled to take place in late April. 
The timescale for the various stages of the process will appear on the 
LowCVP web-site. Any organisations/individuals wishing to participate 
should visit the web-site before contacting the LowCVP Secretariat for 
further information.

2.      The Low Carbon Vehicle Partnership was set up in January 2003 with 
funding from the DfT and the DTI and a mandate to accelerate the shift to 
low carbon vehicles and fuels. The establishment of a stakeholder 
partnership was one of the central actions arising out of the 
Government’s ‘Powering Future Vehicles’ strategy that identified 
greenhouse gas emissions reduction as a priority of future transport 
policy. The Partnership already comprises over 160 members representing 
government, the motor and fuels industries, vehicle users, environmental 
groups, consumer representatives and others. The Partnership is 
coordinated by a secretariat based in central London.  

3.      The LowCVP annual conference in February 2004 took place at the 
Heritage Motor Centre, Gaydon, Warwicks, against the backdrop of the 
new ‘Green by Design Exhibition. The conference was attended by over 300 
senior delegates from industry and other Partnership stakeholder groups. 
The keynote address was delivered by Secretary of State for Transport, 
Alistair Darling, who also launched the new car fuel economy label – an 
initiative ‘brokered’ by the LowCVP.

4.      The main objective of the LowCVP is to contribute to the 
achievement of UK targets for carbon reduction from the road transport 
sector by:

- Providing a framework of communications to encourage stakeholders to 
engage

proactively in the move to low carbon fuels and vehicles.

- Facilitating a forum in which stakeholders can work together to overcome 
market barriers.

- Enabling partners to initiate new policy ideas or discuss the 
feasibility of those already on the agenda

- To provide Government with independent feedback on the opportunities and 
obstacles in the move to new vehicles and fuels and on the progress and 
effectiveness of current Government programmes.

Through the partnership approach, UK vehicles, fuels and related 
industries should be better placed to seize market opportunities in a 
future in which environmental concerns are set to be a major priority.

For further information:

Neil Wallis, LowCVP

Phone: 020 7340 2695  Mobile: 07974 255720 email: [log in to unmask]

Catherine Dove, LowCVP

Phone: 020 7340 2693  email: [log in to unmask]

Asher Minns, Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research

Phone: 01603 593906 Mobile: 07880 547 843 email: [log in to unmask]