Reducing Road Transport Carbon Emissions: Options for Government Policy

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).