Representation by Colin Ettinger
- Date submitted
- 24 February 2023
- Submitted by
- Members of the public/businesses
In order to protect our climate from further devastation, and meet our Net Zero goals, it is vital that we cut greenhouse emissions. The government’s Transport & Environment Statistics 2022 state that transport produced 24% of the UK’s total emissions in 2020. Road transport accounted for 91% of these emissions. Statutory advisers the Committee on Climate Change recommend a 37% cut in UK car emissions by 2030. Research has shown repeatedly that providing more road capacity induces additional traffic. The proposed Lower Thames Crossing would add substantially to harmful emissions, and therefore would seriously counteract the government’s Net Zero commitment. The government’s Travel Survey found that about 42% of miles travelled in England are for leisure, and that higher income families drive much further than drivers in poorer households. Therefore, greenhouse gas emissions from cars could be substantially reduced without causing deprivation. The proposed crossing would also increase emissions with a vast quantity of carbon embodied in the construction materials, cost a huge amount of money which should instead be devoted to public transport and developing low carbon freight transport, jeopardise large areas of farmland and green space, and cause additional illness due to toxic air which fails to meet World Health Organisation guidelines.