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Australians will have to make substantial changes to the way they travel if they want to significantly reduce CO2 emissions from the transport sector, according to a report from the Climate Council.
Australians will have to make substantial changes to the way they travel if they want to significantly reduce CO2 emissions from the transport sector, according to a report from the Climate Council.
The Climate Council is an independent Australian organization responsible for informing the general public about climate change, impacts and solutions. According to its latest report, it will be necessary to change mentalities and to invest heavily in the country to achieve a significant reduction in transport-related CO2 emissions.
The system is currently far too dependent on the car, which alone is responsible for more than 60% of CO2 emissions in the transport sector, according to Australia's Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (DCCEEW). Among other startling facts, there are more vehicles registered in Australia (20.1 million) than people authorized to drive them (18.7 million).
Changing the ways people get around
In all the emissions reduction scenarios modeled by the Climate Council, a radical change in the way most people get around is required. It is no secret that decarbonizing the transport sector will require a shift to public transportation, soft mobility (bicycles, scooters, etc.) and walking, where possible.
Public transport must therefore be made accessible to all, including the elderly, the disabled and those living in remote areas, of which there are many in Australia. The Climate Council recommends that a national transport decarbonization plan be put in place. Its objective should be to reduce car dependency among the entire population. This should be accompanied by a reform of all transport pricing, car-sharing and car-pooling. In order to maximize emissions reductions, it will also be necessary to electrify all public transport by 2035 at the latest, which is a major undertaking.
By the end of the decade, the goal is to increase public transport trips by 3.5 times and the use of active transport modes by 3 times, with the aim of halving the number of car trips made by Australians. Such a shift would reduce overall transport emissions by a quarter for the country as a whole, resulting in cleaner air to breathe. But this transition will also require a change of mindset on the part of the population, and, more importantly, on the part of its leaders.
