Govt Vehicle Fleet Emissions Heading In Wrong Direction – Citizens Environmental Advocacy Centre

QUOTE from; Article: NZ Energy and Environment Business Week

https://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL2002/S00150/govt-vehicle-fleet-emissions-heading-in-wrong-direction.htm

First published in Energy and Environment on February 13, 2020.

“The latest data shows the Government’s attempts to electrify its vehicle fleet and cut its emissions are not making much ground.

However, the popularity of less efficient vehicles, such as sport-utility vehicles, has also continued to grow, negating much of the increase in EVs”.

• This calls for Government to double their efforts to actively increase rail transport with all regional freight and passenger services as rail is far more cost effective to cut our transport emissions, as the National Party 2016 EY rail report https://www.kiwirail.co.nz/our-story/value-of-rail/stated we would financially benefit from rail increased use by lowering carbon emissions greatly saving the government $1.3 billion then.
• Government must follow the overseas approach now to reduce the prolific increase of ‘less efficient vehicles, such as sport-utility vehicles’
• As Energy and Environment reports; – “countries with already more efficient vehicle fleets signal more drastic action.
• The UK has brought forward by five years its move to ban sales of new petrol and diesel cars, and adding hybrids as well, from 2040 to 2035 or even earlier if possible.
• Moves such as this should increase the availability of more efficient vehicles in NZ at a cheaper price, but there is also a danger without tougher import standards NZ could be swamped by cheaper less efficient cars as countries dump their stock.”
• CEAC claims; –
• we are left with a failure to reduce our road transport emissions clearly.
• This calls for Government to double their efforts to actively increase rail transport with all regional freight and passenger services.
• Rail is far more cost effective to cut our transport emissions, as the National Party 2016 EY rail report https://www.kiwirail.co.nz/our-story/value-of-rail/ stated we would financially benefit from rail increased use by lowering carbon emissions greatly saving the government $1.3 billion then.
• Government needs to move now to curb the increasing transport emissions inventory, or loose the battle to reduce carbon climate change emissions.