Carbon Dioxide Emissions

Mr. Carmichael
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to his answer of 12 June 2006, Official Report, column 967W, on roads, what modelling has been applied to the road schemes in the Highways Agency targeted programme of improvements on carbon dioxide emissions; whether the estimate from the “Future of Transport” White Paper included such modelling; and why this figure remained unchanged from the original 10-year Transport Plan of 2000 despite the inclusion of additional new schemes.

Dr. Ladyman
Modelling has been applied at two levels to the road schemes in the targeted programme of improvements (TPI): first at the individual scheme level where carbon dioxide assessments are carried out in accordance with the guidance in the Design Manual of Roads and Bridges (DMRB) volume 11.3.1, and secondly, at the national level (for all schemes) using the Department’s National Transport Model.

The road build included in our national modelling is the Highway Agency’s illustrative forward programme of schemes. This includes schemes in the targeted programme of improvements (TPI), plus an estimate of schemes that may make their way into the TPI going forward.

The modelling carried out for the “Future of Transport” White Paper included this HA illustrative programme, with it adding around 0.15 million tonnes of carbon in 2010, in England. The carbon added from just the current TPI would, therefore, be somewhat less than this, as my estimate of the 12 June response reflects.

The modelling carried out for the 10-year Transport Plan gave an aggregated figure for the carbon impact of the plan as a whole (including sustainable distribution etc.) and did not split out the road build impact. However, given that the amount of road build in the 10-year plan is of a similar magnitude to that modelled for the White Paper, the carbon impact is likely to be of similar size as well.