Environmental Transport Association
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The Environmental Transport Association (ETA) is a
British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...
carbon-neutral Carbon neutrality is a state of net-zero carbon dioxide emissions. This can be achieved by balancing emissions of carbon dioxide with its removal (often through carbon offsetting) or by eliminating emissions from society (the transition to the "p ...
provider of vehicle breakdown, bicycle and
travel insurance Travel insurance is an insurance product for covering unforeseen losses incurred while travelling, either internationally or domestically. Basic policies generally only cover emergency medical expenses while overseas, while comprehensive policies ...
for the environmentally concerned consumer. Unlike the AA or the RAC which are perceived as pro-car, the ETA aims to raise awareness of the impact that transport has on the environment and help individuals and organisations to make positive changes in their travel habits. They offer breakdown and road rescue for cyclists and mobility scooter users as well as motorists. In 2015, the ETA was voted Britain's most ethical insurance company by the Good Shopping Guide.


Promotional vehicles

The ETA has built a number of unusual vehicles over recent years to promote sustainable transport as well as its own insurance products, two of which gained
Guinness World Records ''Guinness World Records'', known from its inception in 1955 until 1999 as ''The Guinness Book of Records'' and in previous United States editions as ''The Guinness Book of World Records'', is a reference book published annually, listing world ...
. Th
Guinness World Record for QTvan
is a tiny caravan designed to towed behind a bicycle or mobility scooter and is officially recognised as the world's smallest caravan. The Hornster was designed and built as a way of highlighting the danger posed to cyclists by lorries in urban areas. The bike is fitted with the air horn from a freight train, which is powered by a
SCUBA diving Scuba diving is a mode of underwater diving whereby divers use breathing equipment that is completely independent of a surface air supply. The name "scuba", an acronym for "Self-Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus", was coined by Chris ...
cylinder, and has been judged by Guinness World Records to be the world's loudest bicycle horn
The BOND bike
was built by the ETA is response to the frustrations faced by urban cyclists; it features a handlebar-mounted flamethrower to dissuade motorists from overtaking too close, a caterpillar track to negotiate potholes and an ejector seat to deal with bike thieves.


History

The ETA was founded in 1990 and became carbon neutral in 2002. It conducts and commissions research into environmental transport issues. It actively lobbies government and key-decision makers to discuss new thinking in environmental transport. They claim to be the world's first climate-neutral motoring organisation. The ETA was a founder member of
Transport and the Environment The environmental effects of transport are significant because transport is a major user of energy, and burns most of the world's petroleum. This creates air pollution, including nitrous oxides and particulates, and is a significant contributor ...
promoting sustainable transport in Europe; which means an approach to transport that is environmentally responsible, economically sound and socially just. 1992 - Green Transport Week is launched in
Weybridge Weybridge () is a town in the Borough of Elmbridge in Surrey, England, around southwest of central London. The settlement is recorded as ''Waigebrugge'' and ''Weibrugge'' in the 7th century and the name derives from a crossing point of the ...
. 1993 - The ETA publishes Britain's first Car Buyers' Guide for people wanting to buy greener vehicles. 1995 - Sets up Walk to School Day in
Hertfordshire Hertfordshire ( or ; often abbreviated Herts) is one of the home counties in southern England. It borders Bedfordshire and Cambridgeshire to the north, Essex to the east, Greater London to the south, and Buckinghamshire to the west. For govern ...
as part of Green Transport Week. 1995 - Sets up a charitable trust. 1997 - The ETA inaugurated the world's first national Car Free Day as part of Green Transport Week which is now held on 22 September every year. In 2014 Car Free Days were held in
Beijing } Beijing ( ; ; ), alternatively romanized as Peking ( ), is the capital of the People's Republic of China. It is the center of power and development of the country. Beijing is the world's most populous national capital city, with over 21 ...
,
Moscow Moscow ( , US chiefly ; rus, links=no, Москва, r=Moskva, p=mɐskˈva, a=Москва.ogg) is the capital and largest city of Russia. The city stands on the Moskva River in Central Russia, with a population estimated at 13.0 million ...
and
Washington Washington commonly refers to: * Washington (state), United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A metonym for the federal government of the United States ** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered o ...
. 1998 - Founder member of the
Slower Speeds Initiative The Slower Speeds Initiative is a UK single issue coalition pressure group. It is an unincorporated association, controlled by its management committee, made up of representatives of its founder organisations. Its aims are "to raise awareness of ...
. 1997 - Began the "20's Plenty" campaign for urban streets and rural lanes. Via the 20's Plenty for Us organisation - partially funded by the ETA an estimated 13 million people will be living on streets at 20 mph within the year. 2002 - The ETA Trust, a charity become limit by guarantee. 2008 - ETA Services Ltd, the services arm, and ETA Trust, the campaigning arm separate. ETA Services funds the ETA Trust through a proportion of its revenue. 2012 - Began the Pop-up zebra crossing campaign 2014 - Established the "Back on a Bike" campaign 2015 - Voted Britain's most ethical insurance company by the Good Shopping Guide


References

{{reflist


External links


Official site
Transport advocacy groups of the United Kingdom