Tracking the Low Carbon Transition in the UK Road Transport Sector using Emissions Monitoring Framework

In this paper, the emissions monitoring framework developed by the UK committee on climate change (CCC) was used to identify and track sustainable emissions reduction in the UK road transport sector for the period 1990-2016. Various factors influencing emissions were considered (using secondary data) in drawing distinction between sustainable emissions reduction resulting from low carbon policies and projects (such as uptake of low carbon and renewable technologies, uptake of energy efficiency technologies, changes in behavioural patterns), and unsustainable emissions reduction due to exogenous factors (such as changes in gross domestic products (GDP), population, expenditure, private income and costs). The result shows that UK’s effort in reducing GHG emissions existed at some points, with modest sustainability in reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, especially in the passenger road vehicle sub-sector. It was pointed out that for better emissions reduction results, there is the need for a full scale implementation of transition management cycle in this sector and beyond.