Research of 2,000 adults revealed that over three quarters in Great Britain are worried about the impact of climate change. Six in 10 believe that increasing the use of public transport is important in helping the UK reduce its carbon emission by 75% by 2030. While half (49%) of car driving Brits have considered taking the bus more often than the car compared to this time last year in order to be greener. Most people don’t believe the government is doing enough to reach its gold of reducing carbon emissions within the next 7 years. The research is commissioned by the Confederation of Passenger Transport (CPT) as they urge the next Prime Minister to ensure net zero goals are put front and centre of the new government’s agenda. Bus and coach travel is vital The urgent call follows the publication of CPT’s ‘Decarbonisation Dividend’ report. Written by WPI Economics, the report demonstrates the vital role increased bus and coach travel has to play in the UK reaching its targets. The recent High Court ruling found the government’s net zero strategy to be ‘unlawful’ has put the issue back into sharp focus. Graham Vidler, Chief Executive of CPT said: “Newspapers column inches and television screens are filled with the news of MPs vying for the top job, yet net zero and decarbonisation are hardly featuring in this Conservative Party leadership contest. “Our new report has shown that changes in the way we travel are needed to keep us on the Climate Change Committee’s pathway to net zero. “The report shows that small changes in the way we travel can create a big difference. To unlock these benefits, each of us needs to switch just one journey per month from car to bus by the end of this decade, two journeys per month by 2050. That’s it. “With this week’s High Court ruling ordering the government to redraw its net zero strategy, there is now an opportunity to look again at how we reach those targets. Our findings show that increased bus and coach travel are key to helping the nation achieve these.” Balanced mix of transport The findings also showed that Great Britain could experience a cumulative reduction of 2 million tons of C02e by 2030 if every person switched just over one car trip to bus or coach per month each year (13 per year). A shift of just over two trips per month (26 per year) journeys by 2050 would result in a cumulative reduction of 19.5 millions tons of C02e – equivalent to the total C02e emission of the North East and Leeds combined during 2019. Graham Vidler continued: “Our findings show that around half of Brits want to have a more balanced mix between using their car and taking the bus or a coach. “With the many parts of the country set to invest in speeding up journey times there’s a great opportunity for people to start shifting some of their journeys. It’s essential that whoever steps into number 10 appreciates and picks up the challenge ahead. “By building on the success of the National Bus Strategy and committing to funding across the whole country, we can ensure that the bus and coach sector can fulfil its role as a key driver toward the UK meeting its net zero goals.”