Australia speeding past shortcuts to cleaner transportPoppy JohnstonAAPSun, 28 September 2025 5:01AM
The switch from petrol guzzlers to electric wheels is a priority in the race to decarbonise transport but Australia could be underplaying a complementary policy lever.
Reducing car dependence in favour of more trips via bus, bike and foot was once the main game for slashing roads emissions but as the electric vehicle market has matured, “mode shift” has taken a back seat.
“This is a massive policy blindside,” says RMIT sustainability and urban planning lecturer Liam Davies.
Dr Davies spoke to AAP after the federal government released its plan to decarbonise transport, unveiled as one of six sector road maps to meet its commitment to cut emissions by 62-70 per cent by 2035.
Moving people and goods from A to B is directly responsible for 22 per cent of Australia’s greenhouse gas emissions and is the nation’s third largest source of climate pollution after energy and resources.
The Climate Change Authority advice, which informed the Labor government’s official targets, highlights vehicle electrification and low liquid carbon fuels for planes and other hard-to-electrify sectors as priorities.
An increase in use of public and active transport was flagged as a complement to the shift to zero-emissions vehicles but Dr Davies says policymakers could be doubling down on mode shift.
“The single biggest way we can reduce emissions as quickly as possible is to use the same cars we have, just drive them a lot less,” he says.
All transport infrastructure is carbon-intensive to build and maintain but especially so for the roads and highways needed to support sprawling, car-dominated cities.
Less car-dependency also brings with it a host of other benefits, including a healthier population, safer streets and improved live-ability.
“Areas that are a bit denser, from an activity perspective, that have more things around, that are more walkable, that have good public transport, they’re generally more appealing,” he says.
A 2023 Climate Council report suggested Australia should be aiming to halve the number of car trips nationwide by the end of the decade, underpinned by “significant investment” in electrified public transport and well-connected infrastructure for walking, cycling and scooting.
Shared and active transport may be overlooked in many parts of Australia but low emissions cars and trucks are also needed to meet transport decarbonisation goals and getting more on the road is not without challenge.
Australia has not set a formal target for EV adoption but the Climate Change Authority says half the cars sold between now and 2035 will need to be electric to meet the lower end of the 62-70 per cent emissions target.
Motorists are increasingly embracing low-emissions vehicles but upfront price and charging infrastructure remain hurdles.
The Labor government announced $40 million for kerbside and fast-charging when it unveiled its 2035 targets, money Electric Vehicle Council senior policy manager Bjorn Siem describes as “a start” to address infrastructure gaps.
Another federal measure, the Vehicle Efficiency Standard, is expected to help bolster competition by incentivising manufacturers to sell more fuel-efficient cars.
Climate Change Minister Chris Bowen expects the number of EVs available to the market to “explode” as importers respond to the scheme over the next 12 months.
The efficiency standard only kicked in in January and Mr Siem says it’s too early to tell if it’s working but he’s optimistic it will do its job.
The policy analyst has been preparing an assessment of the landscape for electric vehicle adoption and confirms Australia is not where it needs to be to meet 2035 emissions targets.
To build momentum, Mr Siem says local, state and territory governments need to step up, including better planning to support charging infrastructure, to support the “great measures” put in place by the Commonwealth.
The possibility of “disincentives” could also slow adoption, namely the consideration of a road-user charge policy eyed off to make up for revenue lost to less tax paid on fuel.
The industry advocacy group has been urging government to wait until electric vehicles reach 30 per cent of new car sales before charging a fee based on public road use and the latest rhetoric suggest state and federal treasurers are alert to the risk of slowing EV adoption.
Mr Siem says a road-user scheme would hit the trucking industry hardest, which presently has few incentives to electrify aside from avoiding fuel excise tax.
Australia’s trucking industry faces an uphill climb to decarbonisation, with vehicles well above international averages for weight and length, and carting their loads very long distances.
Trucks are already subject to rules that dictate which roads they can travel along put in place to reflect the extra wear and tear of heavy vehicles.
Batteries add even more weight.
Australian Trucking Association chief executive officer Mathew Munro has been pushing for road upgrades to withstand the extra weight of electric trucks as well as changes to the road accessibility regulations.
In addition, the trucking industry group wants a voucher program to cover half the gap between the upfront price of a new electric truck and a combustion engine and the introduction of a low carbon fuel standard applied to suppliers.
“They could meet their obligations by selling low carbon fuel or by deploying EV fast chargers or green hydrogen refuelling stations,” Mr Munro says.
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