Video: Climate Council wants ICE vehicle sales banned by 2035

Internal combustion engine (ICE) petrol and diesel vehicles should be banned from sale in Australia by 2035 and households encouraged to ditch one of their family cars.

So says a new Climate Council report which found Australia could halve its transport emissions by 2030.

The council’s Seize the Decade report shows Australia can slash transport pollution further and faster by encouraging the uptake of shared and active transport – like walking, riding, electrified public transport and rideshare.

Transport is Australia’s fastest-growing climate pollution source, contributing more than 22% of its national total, the council says.

The Climate Council partnered with the University of Technology Sydney to produce the report, which it says could see electrification of shared fleets, so one-third of all passenger kilometres are travelled by electric vehicles by 2030, by prioritising vehicles that are on the road the most like taxis, rideshare and fleet vehicles; shifting one-third of road freight to rail by 2030 and electrifying heavy road vehicles, addressing gaps in infrastructure and incentivising the uptake of clean technologies.

Changes to the way Australians travel could slash emissions from the 94.6 mega tonnes expected under current policies to 45.3 mega tonnes in 2030.

“Alongside getting effective fuel efficiency standards in place, we need to support and enable a wide range of cleaner, healthier ways of moving around,” says Climate Council policy and advocacy head Dr Jennifer Rayner.

“Australians who live in our cities should have the choice to leave the car at home because they have access to great shared and active transport options,” she says.

“Walking, riding, using electrified public transport and other shared options more often can see us make huge and rapid cuts to climate and air pollution this decade.

‘It’s also great for cutting congestion and travel costs, while making our streets safer and more enjoyable to spend time on.” 

Climate councillor and public health physician Dr Kate Charlesworth says that by slashing climate pollution and cleaning up the way Australians move they could also live healthier, safer lives.

“Governments can seize the opportunity to slash climate pollution from transport further and faster this decade than electric vehicles alone can.

“For the sake of our kids, our health, and our climate, it’s time to give Australians in our cities more choice of clean and healthy ways to get around.”