Higher welfare standards for farm animals being transported, including shorter journey times, more headroom, and stricter rules on being moved in extreme temperatures, will be brought in by the UK Government under new animal welfare measures announced today.

These new rules, which are being developed in partnership with the farming industry, will apply to animals being transported within England and Wales come alongside the introduction of a ban on live animal exports for slaughter and fattening, which is currently going through Parliament as part of the Animal Welfare (Kept Animals) Bill.

EU rules had previously prevented any changes to animal welfare rules, however as an independent nation the UK is now able to go further and build on the UK’s position as a world leader in this field through a series of reforms to improve standards, as set out in the Action Plan for Animal Welfare.

The new proposals will raise welfare standards for farm animals by:

• Introducing shorter maximum journey times for live animals – between four and 24 hours depending on the species of animal
• Giving animals more headroom during transport
• Stricter rules on the transport of animals during extreme hot or cold temperatures

The Government has listened to early feedback from industry and will now work with the farming sector and welfare groups to develop these proposals and prepare for the transition to the higher standards to build on the high-welfare outcomes already being delivered on farms across England and Wales.

These new conditions would apply to all journeys over 65km. Independent evidence has shown that very long journeys can cause heat stress, dehydration and physical injuries in transported animals such as horses, pigs, sheep, poultry and cattle. Over a billion animals are farmed in the UK each year, many of which are transported within the country for slaughter, fattening and breeding.

Announcing the new standards, Environment Secretary George Eustice said:

We are legislating to ban the export of live animals for slaughter and fattening, and are now developing other measures to improve the welfare of animals during transport.

We have listened to the concerns raised relating to our proposed changes to transport regulations and have made changes to address these. We will continue to work with industry on the remaining details.

Minister for Rural Affairs, North Wales and Trefnydd Lesley Griffiths said:

Animal welfare is a priority for the Welsh Government. We are proud of our record on delivering high standards in this field.

These proposals go further again to ensure that the welfare of animals is protected throughout their lives, including during transport. We will now work with the industry on implementing the changes.

RSPCA Chief Executive Chris Sherwood said:

We are absolutely thrilled that the live export of animals is finally coming to an end after campaigning on this issue for more than 50 years.

This is a victory for every single person who has signed a petition, demonstrated at the docks, written to their MPs and leaders and most importantly for the animals.

We also welcome tighter controls over transporting live animals within Great Britain as it’s a time when they can suffer stress and injury and their welfare needs to be protected.

Phil Stocker, Chief Executive of the National Sheep Association, said:

The National Sheep Association (NSA) is supportive of working with Government to find solutions to the transport of animals and adapt to changing supply chains over the years, so is pleased to have received the invitation to collaborate on developing these proposals. The Association always welcomes any opportunity to work with Defra on the subject.

James Given, Director of Equine Health and Welfare at the British Horseracing Authority, said:

The British thoroughbred industry shares the government’s ambition to protect animal welfare whilst in transport through practical solutions based on clear evidence. We welcome the government’s commitment to work together to co-design solutions that will enhance the high standards of welfare already in place in the industry.

In addition, the consultation highlighted a number of other measures that could help improve animal welfare during transport, including better training for animal transporters and new guidance on an animal’s fitness to travel. Work will be undertaken on all of these areas to develop more detailed proposals and a new method for calculating space allowances for farm animals during transport.

The announcement follows a twelve-week consultation launched in December, which sought industry and public views on proposals to improve animal welfare in transport.

Read the Government’s response to the consultation on GOV.UK.

Electric car batteries with range similar to internal combustion engines and which can charge in as little as 12 minutes are among projects awarded over £91 million of government and industry funding today (18 August) to develop the latest green automotive technology.

Four projects have been awarded funding through the Advanced Propulsion Centre (APC) Collaborative Research and Development competition, which supports the development of innovative low carbon automotive technology. Together they could save almost 32 million tonnes of carbon emissions, equivalent to the lifetime emissions of 1.3 million cars, and secure over 2,700 jobs across the country.

These innovations will address motorists’ concerns about adopting electric vehicles by cutting charge times and boosting driving range. They will help to make electric vehicles more affordable, efficient and convenient.

The projects awarded funding today are:

• BMW-UK-BEV, Oxford – £26.2 million to develop an electric battery that will rival the driving range of internal combustion engines, helping put concerns over how far electric vehicles can travel to rest
• Project CELERITAS, Birmingham – £9.7 million to create ultra-fast charging batteries for electric and fuel cell hybrid vehicles that can charge in as little as 12 minutes
• the BRUNEL project, Darlington – £14.6 million to develop a novel zero emission, hydrogen-fuelled engine to help decarbonise heavy goods vehicles
• REEcorner, Nuneaton – £41.2 million to radically redesign light and medium-sized commercial electric vehicles in Nuneaton by moving the steering, breaking, suspension and powertrain into the wheel arch enabling increased autonomous capability, storage space and design flexibility

Minister for Investment Lord Grimstone said:

By investing tens of millions in the technology needed to decarbonise our roads, not only are we working hard to end our contribution to climate change, but also ensuring our automotive sector has a competitive future that will secure thousands of highly-skilled jobs.

Seizing the opportunities that arise from the global green automotive revolution is central to our plans to build back greener, and these winning projects will help make the widespread application and adoption of cutting-edge, clean automotive technology a reality.

The government has already announced the end of the sale of new petrol and diesel cars in the UK by 2030, putting the UK on course to be the fastest major economy to decarbonise cars and vans, and is currently consulting on phasing out the sale of new diesel and petrol heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) by 2040, as set out in the government’s Transport Decarbonisation Plan. The projects awarded funding today will help make the technological developments needed to meet these goals.

CEO at the Advanced Propulsion Centre Ian Constance said:

These projects tackle some really important challenges in the journey to net-zero road transport. They address range anxiety and cost, which can be a barrier to people making the switch to electric vehicles and they also provide potential solutions to the challenge of how we decarbonise public transport and the movement of goods.

By investing in this innovation, we’re taking these technologies closer to the point where they are commercially viable, which will strengthen the UK’s automotive supply chain, safeguard or create jobs and reduce harmful greenhouse emissions.

Notes to editors

This is the 18th round of funding coordinated by the Advanced Propulsion Centre (APC) which supports the development of low carbon emission technologies for cars, buses, heavy goods vehicles, and vans. These projects will help further the UK’s ongoing efforts to develop a sustainable supply chain for manufacturing electric vehicles by 2026.

About the Advanced Propulsion Centre

The APC collaborates with UK government, the automotive industry and academia to accelerate the industrialisation of technologies, supporting the transition to deliver net-zero emission vehicles.

Since its foundation in 2013, APC has funded 170 low-carbon projects involving 402 partners, working with companies of all sizes, and has helped to create or safeguard nearly 50,000 jobs in the UK. The technologies developed in these projects are projected to save over 288 million tonnes of CO2, the equivalent of removing the lifetime tailpipe emissions from 12 million cars.

Quotes from the winners

On BRUNEL, Jonathan Atkinson, Executive Director of Cummins On-highway Business in Europe, said:

Confirmation of the strategic support awarded by APC is excellent news for Cummins and our world-class research and development facility in Darlington. This project will significantly accelerate the pace of hydrogen engine development, ensuring that the UK is in the vanguard of this exciting new technology which will play a significant part in de-carbonising the global commercial vehicle fleet.

The APC18 project will maintain and upskill many hundreds of key technical jobs, not just at Cummins and our consortium partners but across our total supply base. In the mid-to-long term it offers major potential to expand our high-value export business, supplying hydrogen engines and sub-systems manufactured in the UK to customers around the world.

On BMW-UK-BEV, Andreas Loehrke, Head of Research and Design for BMW Motorsport Ltd. UK said:

This is a really exciting opportunity to collaborate with world leading companies to develop high tech battery technology. It strengthens our UK partner base and safeguards and extends our research and design centre.

On CELERITAS, Founder and CEO of Sprint Power, Richie Frost, said:

As we move steadily towards the UK’s ban on new petrol and diesel combustion engine vehicles in 2030, tackling consumers’ concerns on EVs head on is critical. We are delighted to be leading this pioneering project that will create a step change in battery charge times, helping to create highly efficient fuel cell vehicles for the future and accelerating the charging time on battery electric vehicles significantly closer to refuelling times on today’s internal combustion engine cars.

On REECorner, Mike Charlton, REE Chief Operating Officer said:

REE is delighted to have been selected as recipient of APC funding to support REE investment in the UK automotive ecosystem and we look forward to jointly working with our consortium partners. The UK is an ideal location for a pioneering automotive company like REE thanks to the country’s commitment to vehicle electrification which dovetails with our vision towards propelling a zero-emissions, greener future for our generation and those to come.

UK Government Minister for Scotland David Duguid this morning (Tuesday) met with Siccar Point Energy who are looking to get clearance to extract oil and gas from the Cambo field west of Shetland.

After the meeting in Aberdeen, Minister Duguid said:

It is vitally important that we engage with the oil and gas industry as they have a critical role as the UK transitions towards clean energy as part of our net zero targets.

Whilst our reliance and demand for fossil fuels continues to fall, we cannot have a cliff-edge where oil and gas are abandoned overnight as they have a role to play in our electricity supply, in providing local jobs, and in supporting the production of everyday essentials like medicines.

The UK Government together with industry is pioneering managed change with the North Sea Transition Deal, supporting vital jobs in Scotland while developing technology, innovation and expertise that will be critical to net zero and fighting climate change in line with our aims at COP26 in Glasgow in November.

Background information

The Independent Climate Change Committee advises that we will continue to need oil and gas in the years ahead as it is still vital to the production of many everyday essentials including medicines, heart valves, spectacles and detergents.

Not producing our own oil and gas through the transition period risks security of energy supply.

The UK is the only G7 country to have agreed a landmark deal to support the oil and gas industry’s transition to green energy by 2050 while at the same time supporting 40,000 jobs.

The UK Government has ended support for fossil fuels overseas and is designing a climate compatibility checkpoint which will ensure any future licenses will only be granted if they are aligned with the UK’s climate change objectives.

The UK is a world leader in the global effort to tackle climate change and we were the first major economy to legislate to end our contribution to climate change by 2050. We have now set in law a new highly ambitious climate change target, to cut emissions by 78% by 2035 compared to 1990 levels.

The review into the future of offshore oil and gas licensing concluded that a formal climate compatibility checkpoint, building on current practice, will be established. This will help ensure that any future licenses are only awarded on the basis that they are aligned with the government’s broad climate change ambitions, including the UK’s target of reaching net zero by 2050. The climate compatibility checkpoint is currently being designed and will be announced by the end of 2021. We will seek input on the design of the checkpoint in due course.

The checkpoint will form one additional layer of scrutiny to existing regulatory mechanisms for assessing the environmental impact of oil and gas field developments. Such projects are already subject to an environmental impact assessment, with a public consultation, and are subject to scrutiny from the Oil & Gas Authority (OGA) before consent. The OGA’s new strategy imposes net zero considerations in the consents process, and full carbon costing in decision making.

An exploration licence for the Cambo field was granted in 2001 and the OGA is considering whether to approve extraction of oil there.