Small adjustments to car habits could see a large decline in carbon emissions produced by the transport industry in the UK, research by Uswitch has revealed.

The research showed that those who commute by car each day are contributing 35% of the total transport industry’s CO2 emissions.

The research states that if car commuting is reduced to three times per week instead of five, emissions could be reduced by 40%, from 30.6 million tons (mt) to 18.4mt.

Furthermore, if those who did have to commute by car swapped to an electric vehicle (EV) 3.5m tons of CO2 would be saved from entering the atmosphere.

Ben Gallizzi, energy expert at Uswitch.com, said: “It’s probably no surprise that the transport industry is one of the biggest contributors of CO2 in the UK. When thinking of pollution and emissions, cars and exhaust fumes are at the front of many people’s minds.

“However, to start heading in the right direction, people will need to adjust the habits of a lifetime. With the increase in electric car use and hybrid or full time working from home becoming a viable option for many people, we’re seeing fewer petrol and diesel emissions from commuters, which helps contribute towards the UK’s 2050 goal of becoming net zero.”

The research also highlighted the transport industry as the largest emitter of emissions in the UK, contributing 122.2mt of CO2 to the atmosphere - accounting for 27% of the total emissions in the UK.

The UK has outlined a government strategy to reduce emissions to net zero by 2050.

Uswitch said if all passenger cars on the road were to be replaced by an EV, the UK could reduce its transport carbon emissions by 45%, and 12% of the UK’s overall CO2 emissions.

Gallizzi added: “In order for us to continue this downward trend in emissions, education is key. Currently over half of the UK population do not know what net zero is highlighting a significant need for an improvement in helping people understand how they can do their part.

“Uswitch’s Net Zero 2050 resource page aims to help people understand more about the impact of different UK industries' carbon footprint and what it means for them.

“By breaking down emissions data and projected outcomes people can understand more about the things they can do to help the UK reach its net zero goal.”

The research also found that heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) contribute 16% of the total amount of CO2 produced by the transport industry.

If all HGVs were to switch to a hybrid fuel system, they could reduce their contribution to transport emissions by 6%, the research showed.

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