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One of the UK's leading transport academics last week called for the Government to invest at least £10billion in cutting carbon emissions by 2035 or risk missing its own environmental targets. Professor Rod Smith, of Imperial College, London, says that without more investment the Government may fail to reduce its first target of cutting carbon emissions by 20% by 2010, let alone a 60% reduction by 2050.

The Royal Academy of Engineering Research Professor wants the Government to invest much  more in railways as part of its strategy. He says: "If the Government spent £10billion - only a third of what they spent on Northern Rock - we could build a high-speed railway from London to Birmingham, reducing the need for domestic flights and long-distance car travel." Speaking at the Institution of Mechanical Engineers last week, he urged immediate funding into alternative fuels, including work on hydrogen research.