Abstract:
Worldwide, carbon emissions from fossil fuel use in the transport sector are increasing
faster than carbon emissions from any other sector. The transport modes responsible for
most of this carbon emission growth are car travel, road freight and air transport (IPCC
2001). New Zealand statistics reflect this trend and show that New Zealand transport
sector carbon emissions grew by 42% between 1990 and 2001 (MfE 2006). The growth
in New Zealand transport sector carbon emissions is linked to growth in road transport
use, which is projected to increase further in the near future (WRC 1999; NZGovt 2002;
WCC 2004; WCC 2006). However, carbon emissions (including those from road
transport) are playing an increasing role in climate forcing and global climate change
(IPCC 2001), and road transport use is increasingly recognised as a contributing factor in
a number of local environmental and social challenges (NZGovt 2002; Ray 2006).
