<!–
<!–
<!– <!–
<!–
<!–
<!–
The sale of petrol and diesel vehicles should be banned by 2035 and households should be encouraged to ditch one of their family cars, according to a new report which found Australia had the potential to halve its transport emissions by 2030.
The Climate Council’s findings, released on Tuesday, also recommended that the government make greater efforts to electrify taxis, ride-sharing and government fleet vehicles, move more freight by rail and improve public transport and facilities for pedestrians and cyclists.
The study found that the actions, if taken, could reduce pollution and generate significant health benefits sooner than expected.
The recommendations come two weeks after the federal government unveiled its design for a fuel efficiency standard that would limit emissions from new vehicle fleets for the first time.
The Climate Council partnered with the University of Technology Sydney to produce its Seize the Decade report, which investigated opportunities to reduce emissions in areas such as the electricity grid, construction, mining and transport.
Their modeling showed that changes to the way Australians travel could reduce emissions from the 94.6 megatonnes expected under current policies to 45.3 megatonnes in 2030.
The recommended changes included increasing walking, cycling and public transport rates by five percent each year until the end of the decade, as well as ensuring that at least one in three cars used by government agencies, taxis and businesses of ride-sharing were electric vehicles. .
The Climate Council study also found that electric heavy trucks should account for 17 per cent of those on Australian roads and a third of road freight should shift to rail.
The Electric Vehicle Council wants states and territories to adopt targets requiring the percentage of new car sales must be electric.
The recommendations come two weeks after the federal government first revealed its design for a fuel efficiency standard that would limit emissions from new vehicle fleets (pictured, Anthony Albanese and Chris Bowen).
Federal and state governments should also provide financial incentives for households to ditch a family car, the report said, and the federal government should set an end date for sales of gasoline and diesel vehicles.
“This date must be set no later than 2035 for Australia to have a zero-emission fleet by 2050,” the report says.
The move would coincide with similar restrictions in the European Union, Canada, the UK and some US states, and in the ACT, which will halt sales of new combustion engines in 2035.
Doctor and Climate Council volunteer Kate Charlesworth told AAP the report showed the country could significantly reduce transport pollution and families could help by taking simple steps.
“Typically a household now has two gasoline cars and what we’re talking about is swapping one of them for an electric vehicle and replacing the other with a combination of shared and active transportation,” he said.
“As a society, we are very designed for cars and we need to offer many more options that allow us to speed up and reduce our emissions.”
Dr Charlesworth said reducing transport pollution would not only benefit the environment but would be cheaper for households and could improve public health, both through more exercise and cleaner air.
“Car particles are associated with respiratory and cardiovascular diseases,” he said.
“By dramatically reducing climate pollution and improving the way we move, we will also make it easier for Australians to live healthier and safer lives.”
The call for change in the transport industry follows the launch of the federal government’s New Vehicle Efficiency Standard which promises to reduce emissions from new passenger cars by 60 per cent and from new light commercial vehicles by 50 per cent. in 2029.
The standard should be introduced in January 2025.