Today saw the publication of two important transport strategies. The EU Commission presented their Fit for ’55 Package, and the UK Govt published their long-awaited Transport Decarbonisation Package.   These strategies will overhaul the energy and transport regulatory environments in the EU and UK. Below you can find links to both these publications and our initial headline takeaways.   EU Commission Fit for ’55 takeaways   CBAM One of the most ambitious parts of the Fit for 55 proposal is the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM). The Commission hopes this will prevent ‘carbon leakage’, where companies based in the […]

  This month’s edition takes a look at projects being implemented by city and regions to create a more sustainable environment and implement European sustainability goals… Florence’s smart trams Even the oldest city centres require modern innovations to develop intelligent and sustainable mobility solutions. Florence, one of the oldest and grandest of all European city centres, has recently deployed three new smart trams on their streets. The smart tram project is part of the EU-funded ELASTIC project, developing new systems to provide real-time location information and hazard detection data. The trams have been fitted with various sensors and cameras to […]

  This month we bring you the latest news on the local election results, the planning reforms announced in the Queen’s Speech, an update on virtual Council meetings, and more… Local Elections Takeaways By Kasia Banaś, Account Director  Conservative gains Last week’s local elections were hailed as a big success for the Conservatives who took control of a dozen councils and gained more than 200 new Tory councillors. Local elections and by-elections are traditionally a trying period for a governing party and an opportunity for voters to show their frustrations with those in power. This was not the case this time. The […]

  This month we bring you the latest news on the Oxford-Cambridge Arc, Local Government Reforms, Local Elections, Housing for the ageing population and more… The latest news on the Oxford-Cambridge Arc By Ruby Burdett, Consultant In his budget in spring last year, the chancellor, Rishi Sunak announced the Government’s growth plans for the area connecting Oxford and Cambridge. Almost a year later, after near radio silence on the matter, the Government has revisited the subject and has announced their ambitious plans. MHCLG’s recently issued spatial framework could potentially see out the creation of one million new homes. Plans to […]

  This month’s edition looks at Europe’s first driverless bus and carbon-neutral bus station, unveils the EU’s new instrument for public-private partnerships, the Commission’s intentions to set up rules for sustainable smartphones, and much more… Europe’s first driverless bus begins its route The EU Commission is looking to lead the way in promoting the commercialisation of autonomous vehicles and the necessary regulatory framework. There currently exists almost no regulatory background for autonomous vehicles, and there is a good reason for this. It has proved highly problematic to get autonomous vehicles on the ground in real-world situations. This is why the […]