Climate Change: Changing Landscapes for Infrastructure and Mobility: Assessing Transport and Environment Scenarios
(C.L.I.M.A.T.E.S.)
CIHT – CLIMATES Latest: Final report published 11 June – Sue Percy CBE, Chief Executive,
“Two major challenges will define the work of many transport professionals now and for decades to come. First, the need to achieve deep and rapid reductions in the carbon emissions produced by transport, including those associated with the construction and maintenance of transport infrastructure. Second, there will be a need to adapt our systems and networks to become more resilient in the face of the accelerating impacts of climate change.”
“To support this transformation, CIHT commissioned CLIMATES to ensure that CIHT members and the wider sector could help shape how they deliver their commitment on positive climate action. The scale and complexity of the climate crisis can at times feel overwhelming. It is easy to think that individual efforts are too small to make a meaningful difference. The recommendations that CIHT have outlined in the report aim to create a pathway for change that will require support from across the sector and beyond”.
The seven recommendations in the report were:
- Equipping professionals for climate action: CIHT should enhance training and development to equip and upskill transport professionals with the skills and leadership needed to drive climate initiatives.
- Public-focused, positively oriented storytelling: The sector should collaborate with effective communicators to promote the benefits of climate action, engage the public with positive messaging and build public support.
- Demonstrating that transport decarbonisation is on track: Governments must show progress on decarbonisation and transparently align transport plans with expert climate advice, while professional bodies should provide oversight and challenge.
- Effective working between professionals and government: Review and improve how government and professionals collaborate on climate goals, using both top-down and bottom-up approaches.
- Reappraising appraisal to prioritise future wellbeing: Shift transport investment priorities including a reform of investment appraisal to emphasise low-carbon outcomes, resilience, and long-term wellbeing.
- Prioritising climate action in national transport strategies: Ensure the UK’s Integrated National Transport Strategy places climate action at its core, linking it to economic and social benefits.
- Pricing to address transport’s true costs to society: Identify and apply fiscal measures that account for transport’s full societal costs, considering impacts on different groups.
