THE north has been described as the 'cutting edge of green innovation' following a recent decarbonisation publication from the Department for Transport.

Following the publication of the DoT''s Decarbonising Transport: A better, greener Britain, Tim Wood, Interim Chief Executive at Transport for the North, said: “Addressing the climate emergency through the decarbonisation of our transport network is an urgent priority, and this national plan is to be welcomed. The key will be to translate its aims into action as swiftly as possible.

“As our Decarbonisation Strategy for the North of England is finalised later this year we’re confident that our region will set the pace for climate action and hit our target of near-zero carbon emissions from surface transport by 2045 – ahead of national policy.

“The North is at the cutting edge of green innovation and is perfectly positioned to lead the way on many of the opportunities and initiatives – such as the rollout of electric vehicle charging networks and adoption of hydrogen as a clean fuel. Investment in our region will support the critical Green Economic Revolution and aid the wider levelling-up agenda.

“Publishing the Integrated Rail Plan must now be a priority in order to understand when HS2, Northern Powerhouse Rail and other major projects such as the Transpennine Route Upgrade and rail electrification will be delivered.”