The newly elected Albanese government has moved quickly to legislate the 43% emission reduction target it took to the election. Australia leads the world in domestic solar installations.
It has a goal for 80% of Australia’s electricity to be generated by renewables by 2030. While there has been substantial progress in reducing emissions from electricity, transport emissions are increasing. Indeed, according to the Commonwealth’s own figures, transport is the fastest growing source of emissions.
Reducing transport emissions is much more difficult than other sectors, which helps explain why we have been going backwards over the last 20 years. Unlike electricity generation, emissions from transport come from millions of mostly individually owned vehicles. Australia owns about 20 million cars and trucks, and over 99% of these are powered by either petrol or diesel.
The average age of a motor vehicle is 10.6 years with most expected to operate for around 20 years. In recent years, about one million vehicles are purchased annually, and unless there are major changes to our vehicle policies, most of these will be on the road into the 2030s.
Compounding these problems, our vehicle purchasing patterns are becoming more carbon intensive. The two most popular selling cars in Australia are the Ford Ranger and Toyota Hilux, both large utes that dwarf similar models from previous decades. Our vehicles are getting bigger and heavier, and this means we need more fossil fuels to travel the same distance, compared to a smaller vehicle.
To put it in as simple terms as possible, we have lots of cars and trucks, they are almost all petrol or diesel, and they stay on our roads for about two decades. And of course, we don’t just own these polluting vehicles, we also use them as our primary forms of transport.
In most parts of Australia, around 80 – 90% of trips to work are by car, with walking, cycling and public transport only a minor contributor to the overall transport task. While many governments have stated ambitions to grow active and public transport, the reality is that there has been very little shift in our mode share patterns over the last 20 years.
What are the changes that government need to introduce to stop the growth in transport emissions and bring them down in alignment with net zero by 2050? Here are five actions that would help the government achieve its targets:
- Emission standards for new vehicles
The Australia Institute and other organisations have highlighted that tighter emission standards on new vehicles would encourage vehicle manufacturers to offer more zero-emission options into the Australian market. Europe, which does have emission standards, has over 150 EVs currently on sale, whereas Australia only has 34.
- Price vehicle registration fees proportionate to emissions
In many countries, the registration fee is reduced for vehicles that emit less. Introducing a similar scheme would allow state governments to encourage more people to make cleaner vehicle choices.
- Introduce an Active Transport Investment Package
The Commonwealth plans to spend $120 billion in transport infrastructure over the next decade. Earmarking 20% of this for walking and cycling would create an investment pool of $2.4 billion per year, helping to address the decades of neglect by successive governments in the two most sustainable forms of transport, walking and cycling.
This package is consistent with the UN recommendation that 20% of transport budgets are dedicated to active transport. Not only is walking and cycling zero-emission, but these forms of transport will also help reduce congestion and provide an accessible form of transport regardless of age, for the 50% of car trips that are under 5km.
- Upgrade planning controls to incentivise new housing developments within existing urban areas
Urban sprawl locks in car dependence. Upgrading our planning controls will help prevent the type of development that exacerbates our transport emissions. Building close to existing high quality public transport will help create the transit-orientated development that exists in many countries and means not every trip needs to be done by car.
- Invest in high frequency, zero-emission public transport
While it might not be an especially sexy issue, better bus services are going to be the only realistic public transport solution for the many millions of Australians that live in middle and outer suburbs. Improved coverage and timetables that reflect the mobility needs of modern Australia are desperately needed.
Electrifying our bus fleet will reduce emissions, operational costs and provide a superior ride quality for passengers. With Australia’s east coast having one of the busiest aviation corridors in the world, an east coast fast rail network must be a priority.
Connecting Melbourne, Canberra, Sydney and Brisbane with a 300km/h+ rail service would be competitive to planes, at a fraction of the emissions. Being 100% electric, a fast train service powered by renewables offer a zero-emission solution to long-distance east coast travel.
These five actions, which require cooperation between the Commonwealth, State and Territories, are urgently required. In many countries, these actions began decades ago, and they are now enjoying lower cost, lower emissions transport that is safer and more convenient. It’s time for Australia to get on board.
Elliott Fishman is director of the Institute for Sensible Transport, which be hosting a seminar in Sydney on September 15 dedicated to solutions to reducing Australia’s transport emissions.
Speakers include former Infrastructure Australia CEO Romilly Madew AO, IPCC author Professor David Karoly, Professor David Levinson, and Dr Elliot Fishman. More information can be found at https://sensibletransport.org.au/event/transport-emissions/
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