We advised the United Kingdom Department for Transport on practical advice to help local authorities reduce carbon emissions through local transport plans and schemes.

To achieve the United Kingdom’s (UK) legally binding carbon budgets and reach Net Zero emissions by 2050, large reductions in surface transport-related emissions are essential. The UK Government's advisors, the Climate Change Committee (CCC), suggests that transport emissions must fall by 64% by 2035 (from 2023 levels) to keep in-line with this commitment1.

As key population centres, leaders of towns and cities have an influential role to play in delivering this national target through their own local transport planning. The UK Department for Transport’s own Transport Decarbonisation Plan published by a previous government acknowledged leadership and climate action at a local level is crucial; the vast majority of all transport journeys are local.

Despite significant progress in recent years on carbon management and assessment, a gap was identified: carbon guidance tailored to the specific process, methods and challenges of local transport. This gap has hindered the ability of local authorities to measure and influence carbon impacts, especially at the earliest stages of transport planning. 

Client

  • Department for Transport

Project Status

  • Complete
Of the UK’s emissions that come from the transport: the highest emitting sector (2023) [2]
29%
Reduction in transport emissions required by 2035, based on 2023 levels (2025) [1]
64%
Time quantified carbon guidance issued to local authorities
1st

Introducing the Local Transport Quantifiable Carbon Guidance (QCG)

As an advisor to the Department for Transport and using our deep knowledge of the Local Government sector, our advisers and technical experts helped the Department to scope, shape and write new best practice guidance. This shows how local authorities can take an evidence-led approach to embed carbon reduction in transport planning.

The guidance, published in August 2025 equips authorities to design strategies and interventions that reflect the unique character of their communities, and works alongside tools developed by Department for Transport, Sub-National Transport Bodies and local authority network ADEPT. It also introduces a robust analytical framework and provides practical guidance to assess the carbon impact of proposed policies and interventions, helping inform adjacent decision-making and to drive broader action.

By incorporating quantifiable carbon guidance into local transport planning, authorities can be better informed and more targeted in the generation of their vision and objectives and the policies that will realise this. Considering whole-life carbon earlier in a way that responds to an evidenced understanding of emission sources, carbon ambition and background trends can also reduce delivery and reputational risks, such as in avoiding high-impact schemes or identifying mitigations for these early.

This new quantifiable carbon guidance provides accessible advice so that decisions on transport policy and investment can be informed by high-quality carbon evidence alongside more traditional social, economic and environmental priorities.

The benefits of early carbon thinking in transport planning

This quantitative approach to carbon in strategic transport planning is becoming important globally. Carbon quantification methods and tools are continuously evolving and incorporating them at an early stage of transport planning while maintaining proportionality poses challenges.

However, the planning phase of any transport presents the best opportunity to influence carbon outcomes, and the transport sector remains focused on making it easier for authorities to align these decisions with decarbonisation ambitions.

The work on Local Transport Plans adds to WSP's portfolio of projects working for the Department for Transport around sustainable transport. This includes helping set up the Active Travel England programme, advising on biofuels in freight, and the LTN 1/20 guidance for cycle infrastructure design.

 

References:

[1] Climate Change Committee | Progress in adapting to climate change: 2025 report to Parliament.
[2] UK Government | Greenhouse gas emissions from transport in 2023.

Driving devolution: Three ways to align transport investment to the net zero transition

As part of our series on devolution, we look how combined authorities, and local authorities can ensure their programmes deliver the carbon reductions needed to meet local commitments and support national carbon budgets and Net Zero by 2050.

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