The Federal Government should adopt three proven solutions to reducing the truck industry’s carbon emissions, Australian Trucking Association CEO, Mathew Munro, said.
Mr Munro said such action would go a long way to supporting Australia’s trucking industry and comes after the Government released its 2035 emissions target.
That target seeks a 62 to 70 per cent reduction in Australia’s total carbon emissions, compared to the 2005 figures.
The Government has also released its Transport and Infrastructure Net Zero Roadmap and Action Plan.
Munro said the ATA itself has a strong plan to reduce the trucking industry’s carbon emissions and contribute to Australia’s climate target.
“We are very pleased that the Government’s transport roadmap recognises that increasing the uptake of high productivity freight vehicles between now and 2030 must be part of the net zero pathway for heavy vehicles,” said Munro.
“Australia leads the world in using advanced truck and trailer combinations, and the transport roadmap locks in this key part of our plan.
“To deliver this, we need targeted infrastructure investment, road access upgrades and a regtech solution, the National Automated Access Scheme, to reduce road permit requirements.
“The ATA has previously called for incentives to produce low carbon fuel and policies to support business to use it.”
Munro said the Albanese Government had delivered on the need for production incentives with its $1.1 billion Cleaner Fuels Program, and should put in place a low carbon fuel standard to support businesses to purchase the low carbon fuels produced in Australia.
“Under the low carbon fuel standard, fuel suppliers would have to reduce the life cycle emissions intensity of the fuel they sold against declining benchmarks,” said Munro.
“They could meet their obligations by selling low carbon fuel or by deploying EV fast chargers or green hydrogen refuelling stations.
“Fuel suppliers would be able to spread the cost of meeting the standards across their whole customer base,” he said.
Munro said the ATA was being vocal on the carbon emissions reduction plan as “the community is calling for action: locally, nationally and internationally”.
“The ATA is putting forward a strong plan to reduce the trucking industry’s carbon emissions and contribute to Australia’s climate target,” said Munro.
“Our plan would reduce emissions by 35.1 million tonnes of carbon dioxide over 25 years.
“We are very pleased that the Government’s transport roadmap recognises that increasing the uptake of high productivity freight vehicles between now and 2030 must be part of the net zero pathway for heavy vehicles.
Mathew Munro said the ATA’s emissions modelling has showed that increasing the use of high productivity vehicles and allowing heavier zero emission trucks on more of the road network would reduce emissions by 13.3 million tonnes of carbon dioxide by 2050.
“To deliver this, we need targeted infrastructure investment, road access upgrades and a regtech solution, the National Automated Access Scheme, to reduce road permit requirements,” he said.
Munro said the key barrier to the take up of electric trucks and other low carbon technologies was the up-front capital cost.
“That’s why we need a voucher scheme to cover half the price gap between comparable low carbon and conventional technologies,” he said.
“It should be available for the purchase of battery electric and fuel cell hydrogen electric vehicles, hybrid vehicles, power axles, ePTOs and vehicles with H2 combustion engines.
“Our low carbon fuel standard and voucher scheme proposals are Australian versions of successful programs that are running right now in California, the world’s fourth largest economy. We know they would work.”
The ATA CEO said the ATA’s plan was set out in detail in its submission to the Productivity Commission’s net zero transformation inquiry.
“In addition to our recommendations, the submission opposes increasing taxes and charges on Australia’s hard working trucking businesses,” he said.
“It demolishes the myth that increasing charges on road freight would result in more freight being carried on rail.
“Previous work by the Productivity Commission has demonstrated that the split of freight between road and rail would not change much even if charges on road freight increased substantially,” he said.
Read more about the Government’s Cleaner Fuels Program.
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