“We have to move away from fossil fuels”
Speaking at a House of Commons joint committee hearing on improving air quality, a senior medical expert argued that the home delivery sector can play its part in reducing urban pollution by ramping up its use of electric vans.
At the hearing on Thursday (23 November), Professor Stephen Stephen Holgate, Medical Research Council Clinical Professor of Immunopharmacology, University of Southampton, said: “Obviously, we have to move away from fossil fuels; we all realise that that has to happen.”
Professor Holgate argued that pollution from the growth of the home delivery sector was a specific challenge that must be addressed – and he suggested that the increase electrification of the delivery fleet could be part of the solution.
“Mr White Van is the one area that is going on increasing as people do more of their shopping through the internet. It is a big issue and needs to be dealt with,” said Professor Holgate.
“No one is criticising vans; we are criticising what they are burning while they are delivering their goods, not the van itself. Why don’t we have electric white vans, just as in London they are moving towards the electric taxis? That would be very nice.”
In its Industrial Strategy whitepaper published today (27 November), the UK government says “clean energy” is an integral part of its vision for invigorating the UK economy. The government has also emphasized the investment it is making for nurture innovation in electric-powered and self-driving vehicles.
