The tools and technologies to decarbonise freight transport in New Zealand are available now. The problem lies in their integration and the understanding of potential trade-offs.
This Sydney car park has solar panels and charging stations.
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Australia’s transition to electric vehicles has been much slower than in many other developed nations. But the country is actually well placed to catch up fast.
A growing source of global emissions is the ships that carry most of the goods we consume. A 21st-century generation of cargo ships propelled by the wind can reverse this unsustainable trend.
As part of its target to cut emissions, New Zealand aims for a 20% reduction in driving by 2035, mainly through better urban planning and travel options. Why doesn’t the plan mention intercity rail?
The rest of the nation should follow the ACT’s lead. Incentives to boost the transition to electric vehicles are one of the best ways to tackle Australia’s fastest-growing source of emissions.
Known as parallel importing, importing goods directly from overseas suppliers lowers costs and increases supply, which is what Australia’s electric vehicle market needs to catch up with the world.
Converting to electric cars is going to take time. With transport being Australia’s fastest-growing source of emissions, action on all fronts – road, rail, sea and aviation – is needed.
Major new policies are still needed to accelerate the road transport transition. There’s good news, however: Australian motorists have been promised more choice soon.
A tiny minority flies more than once a year.
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Biofuels are heralded as a climate-friendly replacement of fossil fuels, but encouraging people to drive less and shift to other modes of transport would cut more emissions.
Scott Hardman, University of California, Davis; Daniel Sperling, University of California, Davis, and Gil Tal, University of California, Davis
We’ve heard all the concerns about switching to electric cars before. But California, a market with many similarities, shows why Australia is well placed to accelerate its transition.
On-demand public transit can rival car ownership in convenience, while cutting emissions and cost, and simultaneously encouraging a mode shift towards public transport.
Opposition from vested interests – including oil refineries and the car dealership industry – has held Australia back on fuel efficiency. The onus is now on the Albanese government to intervene.
Since 1995, worldwide agricultural and food trade has more than doubled. It’s never been clearer that eating local produce is a powerful way to take action on climate change.
Most people continue using their car because it’s convenient, but few consider the full cost of depreciation and maintenance. Carbon dioxide emissions rarely factor in people’s choice of transport.