Dr. Aoife O'Grady:

The focus on the 10% reduction is not as a sustainable mobility target per se or a demand management target. It is a carbon counting mechanism. We modelled what we could do under biofuels, sustainable and renewable fuels and the reduction that would give us in carbon emissions. We considered what would remain to be achieved through carbon emissions reduction through greater uptake of electric vehicles and what would be delivered through our sustainable transport investment over the years between now and 2030. This is not even in order for us to get to 51%.

The modelling us shows us a 10% reduction in ICE car kilometres will reduce further carbon emissions. There is still a 0.9 megatonne gap to target, and the work Ms Lennon referenced earlier is identifying a way of delivering that 0.9 megatonne additional reduction in the least negative distributional impact. As a Department, we are trying to identify that final pathway that will do it in as beneficial a way as possible for society and the economy.

That 10% demand management in kilometres reduction is defined as an ICE kilometre reduction because the aim is carbon reduction. There may well be electric vehicle kilometre reduction in there also but that does not count towards our carbon reduction target, whereas on sustainable mobility-----