ABSTRACT
2050—The year by which the United Kingdom aims to be net zero—is a mere 25 years away. Transport has to decarbonise quickly. But currently, transport causes about a quarter of the UK’s annual emissions—the transition to a net zero transport system necessarily has to bring about enormous change. Within this change, there is a risk of sidelining the diverse and complex needs and realities that people face now; we risk making the already unfair transport system even more unfair. At the same time, there is a clear opportunity to integrate fairness at the core of the transport system. To navigate the inherent complexities of this topic, this chapter draws from systems thinking literature, and particularly from Donella Meadows’ framework of Leverage Points. This allows us not just to understand where fairness debates are currently lacking in transport, but to offer tangible input into how fairness can become a central part of the decarbonisation transition. Together, we explore how our transport future may look like if only we ask: “What if?”
