: In November
2020, the Prime Minister announced his 10-point plan for a green
industrial revolution. Its aim to build back better from the
pandemic, to use our recovery to level up the country, to scale
up new industries and to support new green jobs across our
industrial heartlands and throughout the United Kingdom as we
work towards net zero by 2050.
Now, following the UK’s demonstration of global leadership on
climate change, as President and host of COP 26, I am pleased to tell
the House that we continue to deliver on that plan.
In Bus Back Better, we
committed to set a legal end date for the sale of new diesel
buses – today we are launching a consultation to set an end
date for the sale of new, non-zero emission buses across the
UK. Working together across the United Kingdom to provide
certainty to the market, stimulating innovation and investment in
alternative approaches and encourage local authorities and bus
operators to plan together to deliver a decarbonised bus fleet.
Buses are at the centre of the public transport network,
connecting people right across the country, playing a vital role
in fostering and strengthening communities, reducing congestion
and helping build a high-growth, high productivity economy across
the UK.
Buses are already one of the most environmentally friendly ways
of travelling and this policy will go further ensuring that their
future operation produces no carbon impact – with no negative
impact of passengers.
Last year, the government published the Transport Decarbonisation
Plan, which set out our plans to decarbonise all of
transport.
The plan reaffirmed the crucial role that public transport has in
tackling climate change with buses having an integral position at
the centre of the public transport network – but also recognising
the huge contribution from the coach and minibus industry.
To this end, we are today launching a consultation on setting an
end date for the sale of new non-zero emission buses, at the very
latest by 2032. Importantly this consultation also sets out calls
for evidence on setting an end of sales date for coaches and
minibuses.
Late last year, we announced almost £71 million in new funding to
support 335 zero emission buses across 5 local areas in England,
and on Saturday we announced almost £200 million in
further funding, for almost 1,000 more zero emission buses –
delivering on our promise to build 4,000 new zero emission buses
right across the country. We will continue to go further and
provide greater support for zero emission buses through the
Bus Service Operators’
Grant, from April 2022, ahead of a wider reform to refocus
the scheme on reducing emissions, levelling up and keeping fares
low.
This government’s national bus strategy, Bus Back Better, lays
out actions to drive this transition to zero emission buses. This
consultation begins to deliver one of the key commitments in the
strategy. We want zero emission buses not only to be the right
choice environmentally but to be the default choice for operators
economically, with maintenance and fuel saving costs making it
the only logical purchasing decision.
As we recover from COVID-19, we are putting transport at the
heart of our decisions. Building back better and greener will
make our economy more sustainable and resilient, help us deliver
cleaner air and lower carbon emissions, and benefit passengers
across the country. Accelerating the transition to a
zero-emission bus fleet is absolutely key to this.
