Thank you for contacting me about the environmental impact of HS2.
On the recommendation of the independent Oakervee review commissioned last year, the Prime Minister has given the go ahead to HS2, alongside major improvements to local transport networks up and down the country. Now that HS2 is going forward, ensuring it takes into account the concerns of affected communities and the environment is essential.
HS2 will play an important role in the UK’s transition to a net-zero carbon economy by 2050. HS2 will offer some of the lowest carbon emissions per passenger km, seven times less than passenger cars and 17 times less than domestic air travel in 2030 and is expected to help reduce the number of cars and lorries on the road and cut demand for domestic flights.
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