CAMPAIGNERS urged ministers to introduce a monthly “climate card” to encourage greener travel today.

Research commissioned by Greenpeace suggests introducing a £49-per-month rail card granting users unlimited train travel across Britain.

The report, by transport think tank Greengauge 21, estimates that the scheme would generate an additional 122 million rail trips per year, and lead to a reduction of 40m journeys that would usually be taken by car.

Greenpeace estimates that this could cut nearly 380,000 tonnes of carbon emissions, significantly mitigating the environmental impact of transport.

A similar scheme is in place in Germany, where the introduction of a €49-a-month rail card saw regional and local rail use increase by 28 per cent in the first year. 

The report warns that rail revenue could dip between £45m and £637m a year, but highlights that freezes to fuel duty rates have cost around £9bn per year in lost revenue.

Greenpeace argues that the climate card would bring economic benefits, helping people access jobs while expanding tourism to less visited parts of the country.

The report argues that implementing the scheme in the north of England could help address regional transport inequality and rebalance the national economy. 

It proposes, however, that climate card users would have to pay a top-up fee for travel in London and on high-speed long distance trains due to greater demand. 

Paul Morozzo, Greenpeace UK’s senior transport campaigner said: “Our car-dependent transport sector is the largest emitter of planet-heating gasses in the country, as well as harming people’s health with toxic fumes.

“To solve the problem, we need to encourage people off our congested roads and onto public transport, and introducing a climate card could do just that.”