To assist with meeting its targets for reduction in CO2 emissions, the Australian automotive industry is committed to aligning fuel and emission standards with international standards.

Australia’s fuel standards must match engine technology to achieve the best environmental and performance results. Australia must look to overseas experience to ensure that local standards are those most suitable commercially and technically.

The Fuel Quality Standards Act 2000 provides a legislative framework for setting national fuel quality and fuel quality information standards for Australia. For more information, visit the Fuel Quality Standards page of the Department of Environment website.

For specific information on Ethanol and Bio-diesel, visit the Alternative Fuels page of this website. 

2015 Review of the Fuel Quality Standards Act

The FCAI and member companies’ long standing position is that fuel quality standards, GHG emission targets (i.e. CO2 standards or targets) and vehicle pollutant emission standards all need to be considered together, as they are all interrelated. This position it is shared by the global automotive industry, regulators and research organisations.

Motor vehicle brands are reducing both CO2 emissions and pollutant emissions year on year with the introduction of new technology in response to new regulations, market competition and consumer demand. An important component of being able to deliver new vehicle technology to continue to achieve improvements in vehicle emissions is improved fuel quality standards.

The FCAI considers that future success on fuel quality is a fuel quality available in the market that is consistent with the vehicle emission standards to deliver not only the vehicle operability requirements, but also the environmental and health benefits expected by government from reduced vehicle pollutant emissions and CO2 emissions.

The FCAI is of the view that the most effective method to achieve nationally consistent fuel quality standards, that are enforceable and provides a suitable level of consumer protection, is through a national regulatory standard. Therefore, the FCAI supports nationally regulated fuel quality standards.

For more information, see the the FCAI submission to the Review of the Fuel Quality Standards Act Issues Paper.