Representation by Winchester Action on the Climate Crisis (Winchester Action on the Climate Crisis)
- Date submitted
- 22 February 2023
- Submitted by
- Non-statutory organisations
It would be reckless to proceed with this project until it is clear it will not undermine the government targets to reduce emissions to net zero by 2050, and until alternative less harmful ways of reducing the congestion have been rigorously explored. This work has not yet been done, or at least the results have not yet been published nor the results evaluated. National Highways has not yet provided sufficient data to estimate (1) the embedded carbon released in the construction proposed (2) the expected growth in traffic volumes resulting from the increase in capacity (3) the increase in vehicle emissions caused by the growth in traffic volumes (4) the increase in vehicle emissions caused by higher speeds through the junction (5) the carbon intensity of vehicle fuel supplies allowing for the change in fuel between now and 2050 especially taking account of emissions caused by vehicles fuelled directly by fossil fuels, and vehicles fuelled indirectly by fossil fuels by using energy (electricity, hydrogen) produced by burning or reforming gas. National Highways have not provided their trajectories for changes in vehicle energy use, nor changes in the balance of electricity generation. No full analysis has been done on other ways of reducing congestion at this junction: eg improving railway freight capacity between Southampton and the Midlands, developing good frequent public transport between Basingstoke and Southampton, developing a frequent low-carbon bus network across Hampshire, and trebling cross-country trains bringing them back to their pre-covid frequency. Only once National Highways has made a convincing greenhouse gas reduction case should they be allowed to proceed, and then only if there are no less carbon-intensive alternatives.