Shrewsbury relief road proposal 'makes mockery of climate emergency amid fresh data'

A new report says the UK is projected to miss its legal targets to cut greenhouse gas. And Better Shrewsbury Transport says that building the controversial North West Relief Road would undermine Shropshire Council’s climate emergency declaration.

It comes after new data from the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) showed the UK is not on track to achieve net zero unless significant changes are made.

The statistics suggest the nation will emit almost twice the amount of pollution it is allowed to under its legally-binding 2030s goals, and targets will be missed by 73 million tonnes of greenhouse gases.

Dave Green, a spokesperson for Better Shrewsbury Transport, said: “Recently everyone in Shropshire has been focused on the spiralling financial cost of the North West Relief Road, but that is only part of the story. The NWRR is also a ‘carbon bomb’ that will create 48,000 tonnes of carbon emissions from its construction alone at a time when the UK is nowhere near meeting its legally-binding carbon targets.

“According to the council’s figures, the road will only save 359 tonnes of carbon per year through its use. That means it would take an incredible 133 years for it to reach net zero, even if you believe Shropshire Council’s optimistic forecasts. Shropshire Council cannot pursue this project and continue its claim to be a green leader. It makes a total mockery of net zero and would make it even harder for the UK to meet its climate goals.”

News that the UK is not on track to meet its targets was followed by a separate announcement from the United Nations that current emissions pledges by governments are likely to lead to catastrophic climate breakdown in the near future.

Speaking ahead of the COP 27 climate summit in Egypt, UN Secretary General António Guterres told reporters: “If we are not able to reverse the present trend, we will be doomed.”

Mr Green added: “In 2019 Shropshire Council recognised that the climate crisis was, in its words, ‘a serious threat to humanity’. The council acknowledged that local authorities, although relatively small players, have a key role to play in helping the UK reduce its emissions.

"Yet the council’s leadership still wants to build the NWRR, even though they will be actively making the climate emergency worse. It’s increasingly obvious that Shropshire cannot afford this road – financially or environmentally. If the council leadership goes ahead with it, they might as well stand on the steps of Shirehall and rip up their climate emergency declaration, since they clearly don’t believe a word of it.”

Council cabinet member Dean Carroll, who was previously the portfolio holder for infrastructure, said earlier this year: “We recognise the NWRR would generate additional carbon in construction, but we must also consider the much wider benefits from the scheme, such as freeing up road space in Shrewsbury to encourage more cycling and walking and encourage people out of their cars.”

“We have previously made changes to the proposals, which cut its carbon impact from construction by 31 per cent, which is equivalent to 22,200 tonnes of carbon.”