Low Carbon Vehicle Partnership Conference - don't miss it

The conference takes place on the VIP day of the London Motor Show and finishes in time to visit the show in the evening. But don’t expect to be able to pay the Motor Show much attention: before that time your mind will be filled with exciting news. All the real VIPs will be speaking at the conference!

Transport Secretary Ruth Kelly will give the keynote address. Last month the Department for Transport released its annual report. Mr. Greg Archer, director of the LowCVP, stresses that the agenda is not definite yet, as “we are still six weeks from the Conference.” But he is willing to speculate on the topics Mrs. Kelly will address:

CO2 regulation
“We expect her to talk about car CO2 regulation and the views of the Government on this subject.” Mr. Archer refers to this week’s German-French agreement on phased implementation of emissions regulations for existing cars.

Mrs. Kelly will be presenting the national stance in a session about international, national and local policy dimensions. Mr. Stefan Moser of the European Commission's Environmental Directorate is invited to speak about the European dimension. Mr. Darren Johnson, Green Party representative in the London Assembly and former mayoral candidate will address the local policy dimension.

King Review
“We also expect a response from the Transport Secretary to the King Review, as the Government is required to provide a formal response,” Mr. Archer continues.

Professor Julia King herself will be present as well. She is expected to comment on the Government’s response to the King Review of low-carbon cars and will talk about “stimulating innovation in low carbon vehicle technologies.”

Gallagher Review
Biofuels will be another topic. “A major Government study is to be published the coming two weeks: the Gallagher Review,” says Mr. Archer. This review of the indirect effects of biofuels and biofuels policy will probably be included in Mrs. Kelly’s presentation.

Professor Ed Gallagher, chairman of the Renewable Fuels Agency (RFA), the independent sustainable fuels regulator, will be presenting the outcomes of the review himself.

Through the Low Carbon Vehicle Partnership, the RFA has recently developed a guidance to companies supplying biofuels on how to report on the sustainability of biofuels supplied through the Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation (RTFO). The companies are required to provide information on the origin, greenhouse gas savings and production practices for every batch of biofuel entering the UK market.

CO2 advertising
In a session about changing public attitudes, CO2 advertising will be one of the topics. On June 2nd, the EU executive launched a two-month consultation on whether additional data should be made available to consumers in order for them to make a more informed choice when buying a new car. New rules on car labelling may force car advertisers to include 'tobacco-style' warnings regarding the fuel consumption and CO2 emissions of new vehicles in all their promotional campaigns. Media corporations are furious.

Dr. Jillian Anable of the UK Energy Research Centre and the Centre for Transport Policy at Aberdeen University, will address the ‘fuel economy paradox’: why car buyers say they value fuel economy, but don’t!

LowCVP
The LowCVP is an action and advisory group, established in 2003 to take a lead in accelerating the shift to low carbon vehicles and fuels in the UK and to help ensure that UK business can benefit from that shift. It is a partnership of over 280 organisations from the automotive and fuel industries, the environmental sector, government, academia, road user groups and other organisations with a stake in the low carbon vehicles and fuels agenda.

The LowCVP helps the Government to deliver its low carbon transport strategy. The objective of the Strategy is to ensure that the UK takes a leading role in the global shift towards low carbon transport.

How does the partnership do this? Through initiatives to promote sales and supply of low carbon vehicles and fuels, by providing input and advice on Government policy, and by providing a forum for stakeholders to share knowledge and information.