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]