Transport is the fastest growing and third largest source of emissions in Australia, with around 20% of emissions coming from the sector. Transport emissions have increased by at least 63.5% (39.0 Mt CO2 e) between 1990 and June 2019. As emissions in other sectors are reducing, transport is set to become the source of an even bigger proportion of emissions. While transport has a lot of work to do to reach a 1.5C pathway, the solutions to get us there are largely already known.

Shifting to lower emissions intensive modes, like public transport, walking and cycling is critical to reduce emissions, and these need to be appropriately funded. It would be great to see the shifts that many of us have made to walking and cycling during COVID locked in and built on. Having strategies in place to get us feeling comfortable back on public transport will be critical too. Infrastructure and transport services shape the transport options available to us. If transport planning and funding took into account all emissions from transport, better low emissions options would be available. Efficient and reliable electrified public transport systems, such as light rail, bus, metro and long-distance rail networks, can shift individuals from private road transport. Creating attractive public transport networks means improving service frequencies, reliability, accessibility and those last mile connections. Cities and regions can transform transport behaviours quickly with leadership, resourcing and implementation of safe and convenient walking and bike infrastructure. Reducing the overall car trips we are taking is needed to not only reduce emissions but to also ensure the transport system runs efficiently. A well-designed approach to demand management like road pricing can help manage emissions as well as congestion. This can help public transport move more efficiently but also poses a potential funding stream for sustainable transport – like London’s successful congestion charging scheme.

Yes! The solutions absolutely exist, but to get there we need a combination of sustainable transport options and demand management (which means engagement from our government to shape the regulatory environment). Achieving emissions reductions in transport needs a suite of measures that work together to reduce emissions, while still providing an efficient transport network. Shifting passengers from road transport to shared public transport modes can reduce emissions, address health and equity issues, support local jobs and create more liveable cities. In Australia, there is growing interest from state and local governments to do more to reduce transport emissions. It’s great to see electric bus commitments, safer bike lanes rolling out across cities, and commitments to power our public transport with renewable energy. However, ongoing lack of ambitious national policy means there is still a lot of work to do in the transport sector. Australia’s road vehicle fleet is one of the most energy- and emissions-intensive fleets in the world. Australia is one of only two developed countries without vehicle emissions standards, a policy tool that supports manufacturers to bring more clean and efficient vehicles to the Australian market. Our neighbours in New Zealand have recently released a new EV package including a Clean Car Standard and Clean Car Discount, which will put a fee on sales of new high polluting cars, the revenues from which will be used to fund subsidies of new lower-emissions vehicles, helping avoid five million tonnes of emissions. We could have similar policies here in Australia that would benefit the environment, manufacturers and our back pocket.

Advocating for more ambitious electric vehicle policy, by writing to your local MP and engaging with government on transport, is one of the best things you can do to make EVs more affordable, as quickly as possible. In Australia right now, electric cars make up only 1.57 per cent of the vehicle fleet. As EVs increase in the market, more lower priced options, including second hand vehicles will become available. To increase the options available and drive uptake, Australia needs clear policy direction, including a national emissions standard. ClimateWorks analysis has modelled four pathways to net zero by 2050 for Australia, which showed between 50 and 76 per cent of new car sales in Australia must be electric by 2030. We’ve got a long way to go – but with political engagement, we can get there! Using financial incentives is an important way to bring down the upfront cost of electric vehicles until price parity is reached. It also encourages vehicle manufacturers to introduce more models, increasing choices and supporting associated investment such as charging infrastructure, or skills and training for mechanics and dealerships. Incentives and subsidies need to sit within a broader electric vehicle strategy that covers infrastructure, regulation, education, road pricing and targets. For Australia to adequately address transport emissions, a supportive zero-emissions vehicles policy is long overdue.

It’s true that some areas of transport have less mature zero-emissions solutions and we don’t yet have all the answers – long-distance heavy transport like aviation, shipping and long-haul trucks are still some of the most challenging transport issues to solve at scale. A lot of research and development is going into this right now, as well as the roll out of zero-emissions options in these spaces where viable. For example, in 2019 international shipping conglomerate Maersk announced plans to develop commercially viable zero-emissions shipping vessels by 2030, and lead industry collaboration and research into new fuels in order to meet a net zero emissions by 2050 commitment. In 2021, they updated their strategy to announce a carbon-neutral vessel would be launching in 2023, seven years ahead of schedule. They cited higher expectations from customers, investors and employees as the reason the industry is pushing for climate action to happen faster. Advocating for government and industry support of these efforts is critical to keep us moving forward and ensuring that the sector is ready for rapid uptake of these technologies in the future. Right now, Australia needs to plan for reducing demand on emissions-intensive types of transport. This might include shifting the norm to alternative options in the future, such as avoiding passenger trips by using teleconferencing. Taking an international example, France has recently moved to ban flights that could be taken by a 2.5 hours train. Shifting to more efficient zero-emissions travel by rail can have an immediate impact. For example, in relation to freight, one additional rail service is estimated to take 54 trucks off the road in Sydney.

One great source is “Moving to Zero”, ClimateWorks recent report on accelerating the transition to zero-emissions transport. Also, ClimateWorks cities team is building a multi-year ambitious program to tackle transport emissions. Contact rachel.lynskey@climateworksaustralia.org if you’d like to hear more.