[2019] Motion 09 Creating a green transport system

Composited motion

Received from:

Merged into composite 03

Congress notes that as part of the Kyoto Agreement Britain must reduce emissions by 80–95 per cent compared to 1990 levels. The Climate Change Act 2008 goes beyond this target with the UK committing to a 34 per cent reduction in emissions by 2020 and 80 per cent by 2050. The latest figures released show that transport is the largest polluter in terms of greenhouse gasses producing 27 per cent of total emissions. Rail accounts for less than 2 per cent of this.

Congress believes that it is essential that the government makes a fully integrated and green transport network a priority. This means reducing the amount of passenger and freight kilometres on our roads and moving them to greener alternatives such as rail and waterways.

Congress recognises that road will always be an essential element of our transport network, whether that’s people driving their cars, or lorries carrying freight for the last leg of journeys. But a properly integrated transport system would see different transport modes complement each other as well as the infrastructure created to reduce carbon emissions to the smallest possible level. This means investment in electric vehicle technology and infrastructure along with rail electrification.

Congress therefore calls on the General Council to campaign for further electrification of the railway as well as increased modal shift from road to rail and waterways for freight. In addition, Congress calls on the General Council to campaign for the re-opening of train lines and the creation of new infrastructure in order to ensure we have the capacity for growth.

ASLEF

Amendment

  • Add at end of paragraph 2:
    “This will additionally have major public health benefits, particularly in urban areas, as we remove carcinogenic diesel particulate emissions that currently account for 30,000 premature deaths a year in the UK.”
  • In paragraph 3, sentence 1, between “cars,” and “or” insert: “passengers travelling by bus”
  • In paragraph 3, sentence 2, between “system” and “would” insert: “with a nationally coordinated timetabling system at its heart”
  • In paragraph 4, sentence 2, delete “the re-opening of train lines” and replace with “a fully integrated transport system, the re-opening of railway lines”

Transport Salaried Staffs’ Association