About Share the Road

There are lots of alternative ways of travelling to, from and within Cornwall, but 87.5% of the 5 million tourists still choose to travel to Cornwall by car (2003 figures). Also, within Cornwall, combined public sector and voluntary sector mileage exceeds 40 million miles per year or roughly 1,000 times round the world!  These and other forms of transport contribute 27% of the five million tonnes of CO2 emitted in Cornwall each year - so it’s a BIG issue!

The project was led by John Miller who has worked with an interdisciplinary team of postgraduates and experts at the University College Falmouth’s Academy for Innovation & Research (AIR). The team held a two-day residential ‘Design Lab’ event with leading designers and scientists where they  co-developed new solutions with local people. 

“The challenge was to develop desirable transport alternatives that don’t cost the earth” says Programme Director Andrea Siodmok.  The Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD) has suggested that if the world is to reduce emissions by 50% from current levels by 2050, the total investment required to achieve this represents around $1.1 trillion per year – an average of 1.1% of global GDP each year from now until 2050 (OECD/IEA 2008). With so much focus on the immediate need to reduce the countries deficit it is tempting to re-prioritise the global challenge presented by climate change. “We want to show that real innovation happens locally and can be internationally significant”.

 

We want to show that real innovation happens locally and can be internationally significant.

Andrea Siodmok