Transport Emissions Reduction Plans Shows Lack of Commitment to Climate Action

Media release – Climate Tasmania, 3 November 2023

Tasmanian Government’s transport emissions reduction plans shows lack of commitment to climate action

The consultation draft of the transport sector emissions reductions and resilience plan reveals the Tasmanian Government’s frightening lack of commitment to reducing emissions and preventing the worst effects of climate change.

To achieve the target of net zero by 2030 in the Climate Change Act, lutruwita/Tasmania needs to reduce its continued emissions. The transport sector, at 21% of gross emissions, provides opportunities for immediate abatement.

Yet the recently released plan makes no new commitments to policies which reduce emissions from the transport sector, such as increasing bus services, electric vehicle purchase price incentives or committing to the roll out of an electric bus fleet.

Key issues:

• The plan rightly acknowledges that a ‘mode shift’ to active and public transport is necessary to reduce Tasmania’s transport emissions, highlighting policies such as financial incentives and infrastructure upgrades to increase active transport. But more needs to be done to shift to public transport, such as increasing the reliability and coverage of public bus services.
• Only 0.4% of vehicles registered in the state at 30 September are electric. Under the ‘mode shift’ detailed by the Climate Council, 34% of cars in Australia will need to be electric. Yet there is no target for electric vehicle uptake and no financial incentives provided for electric vehicles in the plan – a policy which research shows is the most likely to increase electric vehicle uptake. Subsidies of $3,000 to interest free loan schemes of $15,000 are provided in the majority of states and territories.
• While most other states and territories have committed to electrify their bus fleets, the Tasmanian Government are still stuck in the trial phase, with only two buses. Heavy vehicles are 32% of Tasmania’s transport emissions.
• There are no commitments for increasing electric trucks through policies such as purchase price incentives or investing in charging infrastructure.
• There is no target for emissions reductions in the plan, despite evidence from the UTAS Policy Exchange that it should be set at 37% by 2030.

“The lack of commitment to climate action shown by the Tasmanian Government in its draft transport sector decarbonisation plan is frightening,” Rachel Hay, researcher and Climate Tasmania member, said.

“The plan is only that in name – it makes no further commitments which will reduce emissions in the transport sector, merely identifying current actions and ‘future opportunities’.

“The Tasmanian Government has made no commitment to introducing financial incentives for electric vehicle uptake in the plan, despite research that shows it is the most successful policy in increasing electric vehicle uptake.

“The Tasmanian Government is rapidly falling behind other states and territories on reducing transport emissions, as one of the only jurisdictions in Australia without purchase price incentives on electric vehicles or a target for electrification of buses.

“To prevent the worst effects of climate change in lutruwita/Tasmania, the Government needs to show the people how it will reduce transport emissions. Not at some unspecified future point, but now, as is required by the Climate Change Act.”

The consultation draft of the transport sector emissions reductions and resilience plan is open to public comment until Wednesday November 29. The Climate Change Act requires that the transport sector plan be developed by November 30. Read more here.

Rachel Hay is a researcher, writer and advocate for action on climate change. She is a member of Climate Tasmania, and wrote their recent report on transport sector decarbonisation. Rachel’s worked with the Australia Institute Tasmania on the review of Tasmania’s Climate Change Act. She was the Co-Convenor of Fossil Free UTAS, who convinced UTAS to divest $10 million of fossil fuels and become carbon neutral.

Climate Tasmania is a group of concerned professionals who have a diverse range of expertise, spanning scientific, legal, economic, health, energy, social and policy aspects of climate change. Our aim is “To provide timely, independent and authoritative advice to Tasmanian business, government and community leaders on climate change and appropriate policy responses.”