How Does Transport Policy Cope with Climate Challenges? Experiences from the UK and Other European Countries

Transport is one of the fastest growing sources of emissions of greenhouse gases. Some European countries have adopted comprehensive “sustainable transport” policies, in which climate change is addressed. This paper looks into how sustainable transport policy frameworks deal with climate change challenges in three countries: the Netherlands, Sweden, and the United Kingdom. In particular, the focus is on the role of follow-up and monitoring systems to keep the policies on track. For the United Kingdom, a critical analysis is made of strengths and weaknesses of the policy monitoring regime. The analysis shows that the monitoring approach, while ambitious, has suffered some deficits that may have weakened the role of the high-level strategies. Current efforts to strengthen the system are discussed.