Transport is Australia's second biggest source of climate pollution, and most of it’s coming from the exhausts of our cars, utes and trucks.
But we can put our vehicle emissions in reverse! Strong fuel efficiency standards now would make cleaner vehicles more available and affordable to more people in Australia and hit the accelerator on taking CO2 off our roads.
Right now the Australian government is asking us in the community for our input on these standards. It's critical that we lend our voices now to make the standards strong enough to clean up our dangerous vehicle pollution.
Make a comment now for strong fuel efficiency standards to be included in an ACF community submission to the Australian government before the Friday 31 May deadline.
What to include in your comment
In your submission, you can mention that you want the standards to:
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Take effect as soon as possible: Have the standards come into effect as soon as possible, which will be mid-2024, so that we reduce transport emissions from light vehicles now.
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Be tough on pollution: Require all new cars sold in Australia to have zero emissions from 2035, which is in line with limiting global heating to a 1.5-degree rise.
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Insure affordability: Ensure that by 2035 all new cars sold in Australia have zero emissions, creating a second-hand market for low-emissions vehicles sooner.
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Be mandatory and rigorous: Legislate the standards, make them mandatory for all manufacturers, and don’t allow accounting tricks like super credits, offsets etc. that stop the genuine reduction of CO2 emissions.
Read more: 'What are fuel efficiency standards?'
Latest Supporters
Emission standards in Australia are woefully low. This has resulted in us becoming the dumping ground for automobile manufacturers for high emissions vehicles they cannot sell anywhere else.
Tough emission standards backed by rigorous enforcement will ensure that not only do we have cleaner air but also to encourage the adoption of electric vehicles which we need to do quickly in order to bring our emissions down and stay within the Paris Agreement global temperature guide.
With appropriate emission standards Australia will attract cheaper and more plentiful choice in the EV automotive space. Certainty brings investment and opportunity.
Immediate action on this is required, since the window for action to reduce emissions is getting narrower and consequently the time we have to get the job to be done gets larger. Rules changes now will take at least until 2024 to come into effect. Act now, be decisive, and safeguard our collective future.
Europe has had mandatory exhaust emission testing before vehicle registration for decades. This needs to be introduced in Australia as a matter of urgency.
Please legislate and act to reduce pollution. Pollution’s harmful to humans. We need renewables and new laws.
Something has to change! For our health and our kids’ health, I need there to be a plan for change.
I live on Portrush Rd with trucks passing every moment of the day. The pollution is increasing – noise pollution as well as the emissions. Schools are situated along this road and I fear for the impact on young children’s lungs and general well-being.
Please put Fuel Efficiency standards in place. It worries me that Australia is so slow and weak in its uptake of e-vehicles. There is not enough support given to people who would like to make that switch.
I urge the Australian Government to act now to tackle transport emissions. Australia’s contribution to reducing CO2 must include urgent action to shift away from ICE vehicles.
After a decade of inaction Labor needs to lead on this issue which will provide flow on benefits to the community including improved environmental and health outcomes particularly in our transport-laden cities.
Action must take effect as soon as possible: Have the standards come into effect as soon as possible, which will be mid-2024, so that we reduce transport emissions from light vehicles now.
Be tough on pollution: Require all new cars sold in Australia to have zero emissions from 2035, which is in line with limiting global heating to a 1.5-degree rise.
Ensure affordability: Ensure that by 2035 all new cars sold in Australia have zero emissions, creating a second-hand market for low-emissions vehicles sooner.
Be mandatory and rigorous: Legislate the standards, make them mandatory for all manufacturers, and don’t allow accounting tricks like super credits, offsets etc. that stop the genuine reduction of CO2 emissions.
We need stronger regulatory action so that Australia does not continue to be the dumping ground for the worlds least efficient car. We need to become an attractive market for EV to speed up the change that is needed. I cannot afford even a second hand EV, changes need to occur so that EVs are more affordable, and means stronger regulatory action.
Introduce fuel efficiency standards in Australia that reward more efficient vehicles and applies penalties to less efficient designs. Incentivise the electric vehicle market.
It is imperative that Australia reduces carbon emissions. One way we can help to achieve this is to electrify transport. To make it possible we need rigorous fuel efficiency standards. As an individual I have over time adopted the approach of electrifying everything and have avoided much of the financial pain of the latest rise in energy prices, on top of that I also save on maintenance of expensive fossil fuel vehicles. I believe a lot of poverty can be reduced and the community will be much healthier when we eliminate burning fossil fuels.
We need pollution reduction now. New transport legislation should:
1- Take effect as soon as possible: Have the standards come into effect as soon as possible, which will be mid-2024, so that we reduce transport emissions from light vehicles now.
2- Be tough on pollution: Require all new cars sold in Australia to have zero emissions from 2035, which is in line with limiting global heating to a 1.5-degree rise.
3- Insure affordability: Ensure that by 2035 all new cars sold in Australia have zero emissions, creating a second-hand market for low-emissions vehicles sooner.
4- Be mandatory and rigorous: Legislate the standards, make them mandatory for all manufacturers, and don’t allow accounting tricks like super credits, offsets etc. that stop the genuine reduction of CO2 emissions.
Dear Mr. Albanese, please consider better fuel efficiency to cut dangerous pollution and help our environment.Its important for the health of everyone.
Powerful vehicle manufacturers have spread misinformation about electric vehicles. It’s clear that good laws in the northern hemisphere have increased availability and decreased price of EVs. Fuel efficiency standards are part of that. We are also vulnerable to problems with fossil fuel availability and control. Emissions legislation: improves health, combats climate change and increases national security. A no brainer. Who is delaying? We can be sure there is undue influence and corruption occurring
Get real…..and get us some decent workable pollution reduction in our motor industry…..the research says it all.
Electric cars are not the way for Australia. Distances are too great and the cost to most too great. That means that those that can’t afford these cars miss out and possibly can’t drive petrol cars they own. Who pays for the electricity and how many stations would there be long distance and how many hours to recharge would be necessary. These cars are also known to explode and the emissions from that are worse than carbon emissions. There are no recycling plans in for the old batteries and they will end up in dumps which will be more dangerous for the climate. Zero emissions is not feasible and the planet needs carbon to grow greenery. Electric cars are also a minefield of radiation for those driving them and this has been examined by some concerned by it. They are not the way of the future. I don’t imagine this comment will be considered as the drive for zero emissions does not include rational thought.
We need to do everything we can to reduce emissions now. There is no time to waste.
The standards need to come into effect as soon as possible, be legislated, and mandatory for all manufacturers without any accounting tricks that stop the genuine reduction of CO2 emissions. All new cars sold in Australia need to have zero emissions form 2035 or earlier., We have no time to lose if we want to limit global warming.
I think it is critical that we have strong fuel efficiency standards. I am ashamed at our low standards in Australia. The slack standards affect our health and contribute to the second biggest source of climate pollution. Strong standards would lead to EVs replacing polluting vehicles.
If we wanted to be in the lower end of the economies like Russia then continuing the current inactivity in regard to fuel efficiency would be the answer. If we want to forge ahead with climate change strategies then changing this stance immediately would be smart. Let’s make Australia the smart country! And at the same time reduce our exhaust emissions and increase EV vehicles (for cars and trucks)! Please.
I believe that strong fuel efficiency standards would be not only helpful for reducing Co2 emissions but also in reducing the levels of air pollution in Australia and the health impacts of respiratory illnesses caused by high levels of particulate pollution particularly from diesel engines.
I note that to make this transition to EVs equitable, then, unit dwellers need access to cheap solar like home owners who have roof top solar and car charging at home. This is currently not even possible for most of us unit dwellers.
Australia needs to introduce strong fuel efficiency standards, similar to those in the European Union, and strictly monitor compliance in order to reduce vehicle pollution levels and improve our environment.
I am very concerned for our environment and the health of my grandchildren if the Government does not introduce legislation to ensure that from 2035 all new cars produce zero CO2 emissions.
The fuel efficiency standards must:
. require all new cars sold in Australia to have zero emissions from 2035, which is in line with limiting global heating to a 1.5-degree rise;
. insure affordability;
. be mandatory and rigorous, with no dodgy accounting tricks.
Please legislate to protect our air quality immediately. Australia has been shamed by lagging behind most of the world for too long.
We need strong limits on our fuel emissions NOW, not tomorrow. Let’s show the world that Australia is on board when it comes to saving our fragile planet.
Australia is so far behind, its embarrassing. We need to clean up emissions in all areas of transport.
It’s time for Australia to have emission limits comparable to other nations.
As an age pensioner, I still want stronger pollution controls for all motor vehicles exhaust emissions. We need to clean up = cut down our greenhouse gas emissions urgently.
This needs to take effect as soon as possible: Have the standards come into effect as soon as possible, which will be mid-2024, so that we reduce transport emissions from light vehicles now.
Be tough on pollution: Require all new cars sold in Australia to have zero emissions from 2035, which is in line with limiting global heating to a 1.5-degree rise.
Insure affordability: Ensure that by 2035 all new cars sold in Australia have zero emissions, creating a second-hand market for low-emissions vehicles sooner.
Be mandatory and rigorous: Legislate the standards, make them mandatory for all manufacturers, and don’t allow accounting tricks like super credits, offsets etc. that stop the genuine reduction of CO2 emissions.
Regards,