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Government Report Demonstrates Car Industry Commitment to Reducing Co2 Emissions

Carbon emissions from new motor vehicles in Australia continue to decrease, with the national average for 2013 equal to 192 g/km—3.4 per cent lower than 2012 figures. This decline is highlighted in the National Transport Commission’s Carbon Dioxide Emissions from New Australian Vehicles 2013 information paper, released today.

Welcoming the information paper, FCAI Chief Executive Tony Weber said this shows the commitment of the industry to continually deliver new technology that reduces CO2 emissions.

“On average, new motor vehicles in Australia have recorded 2.4 per cent year-on-year CO2reductions over the last decade with an overall reduction of more than 22 per cent. This is significantly greater than the reductions seen in most other sectors of the economy,” Mr Weber said.

The road transport sector accounts for 8 per cent of all CO2 emissions in Australia. Of that 8 per cent, new motor vehicles account for just 1/16th of the emissions, or around half of one per cent of total CO2 emissions.

Mr Weber noted that the report included a case study comparing the Australian and UK new car markets that showed the major impact of consumer choice in the overall average CO2 figure.

“When you look at new car sales in Australia, it is apparent that Australian consumers have a greater preference for heavier vehicles with larger and more powerful engines, than consumers in the United Kingdom. Australian consumers also have a preference for a lower proportion of diesel powered engines and a higher proportion of automatic transmissions, all of which contribute to higher emissions,” Mr Weber said.

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