In reverse
Australia’s light duty vehicle fleet is among the least fuel efficient in the world, using 24% more fuel per kilometre travelled than the UK. If the UK’s modest standards could be met here, Australian drivers would save $13 billion a year in fuel costs and overall transport emissions would be 17% lower.
It is hard to overstate the significance of the role of transport emissions in achieving national greenhouse gas reduction targets. Transport is both a major source of greenhouse gas emissions— accounting for 18% of Australia’s total emissions and the second largest source after electricity (34%)—and one of the easiest sources to abate.
The widespread availability of more fuel-efficient vehicles and zero-emission vehicles means that there are many reasonably straightforward ways transport emissions can be reduced.
At the same time, with historically high fuel prices, the path to lowering transport emissions — burning less petrol and diesel — is also the path to major cost savings for households, as well as significantly improving the nation’s fuel security.