11.1 Global Warming

We will work to reduce the damaging emissions that cause climate change.

Exhaust emissions contain gases and particulates which affect the climate of the earth. Greenhouse gases are recognised as the principal cause of global warming. Particles reduce the amount of solar radiation absorbed by the earth. Exhaust gases can also lead to the formation of particles, while some exhaust particles contribute to global warming too. The result is abrupt and damaging changes in climate and the prospect of polar ice melting with a consequent rise in sea level. Locally, there is the prospect that the highway network in Lancashire will suffer from more frequent flash floods after heavy rain storms and further deterioration of moss roads in hot, dry summers.

Meeting the Climate Challenge, the 2005 Recommendations of the International Climate Change Workforce, states, "Concentrations of CO2 alone (standing at 379ppm in March 2004 compared to the pre-industrial level of 280ppm) are likely to rise above 400ppm in coming decades and could rise far higher under a business-as-usual scenario. At the same time, atmospheric levels of reflecting and cloud-forming particles, which are partly offsetting greenhouse gas warming today, will continue to go down. Action is therefore required that includes immediate measures to reduce emissions of all greenhouse gases and soot (a heat-trapping form of particulate matter), as well as a commitment to protect and expand the capacity of forests and soils to draw down CO2 from the atmosphere." Governments have already begun to work together to address the threat of climate change under the 1992 United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Kyoto Protocol, which entered into legal force in February 2005.

Transport relies upon combustion engines and is thus a major source of CO2. The level of CO2 emissions, and other exhaust products, can be reduced in two ways; by reducing the degree of transport and by reducing the level of emissions from the remaining transport. In both cases, several parties have a valuable contribution to make.

Service providers can reduce the need to travel by improving access to their services, by providing them more locally or delivering them to homes by post or over the internet. The County Council will promote the benefits of increased accessibility through its Accessibility Strategy. Working with employers, schools and individuals, the County Council will introduce Travel Plans to promote modal shift from the private car. Improved facilities will attract car drivers to walking, cycling and public transport and support the people who already use these modes. Campaigns under the TravelWise banner will support public transport, both in general and on specific routes, and will raise public awareness of the consequences of their travel choices. Drivers can share cars and use other modes more often.

Manufacturers will develop vehicles with better fuel consumption and with engines that burn fuel more efficiently. The development of catalytic converters will result in cleaner emissions, reducing the level of CO2 and particulates. Car manufacturers now publish details of car fuel consumption and CO2 emission rates, allowing consumers to make informed decisions on their purchases. Oil companies will supply cleaner fuels which will reduce emissions further. To save fuel, drivers can accelerate and brake more smoothly and switch off their engines when vehicles are stationary, when commercial vehicles are making deliveries and when buses and taxis are at stands. Transport operators can contribute by scheduling the use of their vehicles more efficiently to reduce the mileage they complete.

Traffic congestion increases fuel consumption and exhaust emissions. The County Council will work to improve traffic flows and reduce congestion in Lancashire and the Traffic Manager will co-ordinate actions on the highway to reduce obstructions to daily flows. We will work to develop and maintain sustainable transport across the county to reduce the volume of exhaust emissions. As a partner in the SUCCESS project of the EU CIVITAS programme, we will implement a series of demonstration projects to manage transport impacts in the transport network based on Preston. The introduction of hybrid diesel/electric buses will complement the clean fuel vehicles already in the fleets of the County and City Councils in reducing carbon emissions and improving air quality in the City Centre.

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