For Aotearoa New Zealand to achieve its target of net zero by 2050, we need to do more to decarbonise our transport sector. Not only does transport account for 47 percent of the country’s total carbon emissions, but it’s our fastest growing source of emissions. Domestic transport emissions increased by 90 percent between 1990 and 2018. Emissions across the whole economy increased by 24 percent during the same period.
But reducing these sky-high carbon emissions can’t be done in isolation. We must also consider existing inequities in our transport system, where not everybody has the same access to public transport and road networks. And importantly, not make these inequities worse. With a well-crafted package of policy changes, we can achieve a socially-just and climate-safe transport system that drives broader equity in people’s wellbeing and living standards.
Here are four bold ideas to support such a package:
1. Ban imports of light internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles. Now!
The Government has signalled a ban from 2035, but we need to be more ambitious. More electric vehicles (EVs) on the road will help us reduce climate damaging emissions and harmful local air pollution. A ban today will be complicated because the supply of EVs isn’t there yet and supporting infrastructure needs to catch up. Exemptions will be needed for special cases, for example in areas where the infrastructure to support EVs doesn’t yet exist. Still, for the sake of bold ideas and to push this urgency along, a total import ban now would shift the carbon reduction dial. It doesn’t however address the equity issue, or the congestion issue.
2. Buy-back/trade in light ICE vehicles and offer EV subsidies.
Light ICE vehicle buy-back approaches seem to have worked elsewhere to remove a bunch of them from streets. It will cost a fortune to replace all 3.3m light ICE vehicles in Aotearoa. The Government is already giving taxpayer-funded rebates for new and used EVs. But we should explore linking eligibility to our welfare and tax systems to ensure equity and support to those that need a vehicle. This kind of Government support would be the equitable way to ensure fair access to EV ownership. Otherwise, there’s a real risk that a portion of our population are left stuck paying high fuel prices and maintenance on aging cars, with no other option.
3. Supercharge incentives for public transport.
Getting more people out of cars and onto public transport will go a long way towards decarbonising our cities. To encourage greater use of public transport, we should offer incentives or subsidies that reduce the cost to users - things like free or discounted bus and rail passes. Overseas, incentives like these have been shown to increase public transport use, get commuters out of cars and into active travel options that are better for the environment and people's health and wellbeing. They can also help people reach that 'Eureka moment' in realising that public transport can be a valuable, usable alternative. In New Zealand we prioritise SuperGold card users, who can travel free on off-peak rail, bus and harbour ferry services. But why stop there. Let’s extend the same kinds of free and heavily discounted fares to others in the community, including under 25s and low-income groups.
4. Embrace car-less cities and prioritise people over road traffic.
Without cars, we can give priority to more equitable and accessible ways of getting around. When it comes to bold ideas, you might think car-less cities takes the cake. But it’s already happening elsewhere in the world, such as in Merwede, a ‘car-less’ neighbourhood development in the Netherlands. We’re starting to see a small number of similar developments in Aotearoa. In Merwede the neighbourhood’s 12,000 residents will still require access to some form of car-based transport from time to time. That’s why it’s estimated that there will be three spaces for every 10 households reserved for cars and 300 of these will be for shared vehicles. A large number of Merwede’s apartments will also be dedicated to social housing, with cheaper prices that allow access to a wider majority of the population. These kinds of equitable game-changing ideas that prioritise people and wellbeing over cars and roads, comes at a sizeable investment. But it’s the right thing to do.
Over the past two years as we’ve been in and out of COVID-19 lockdowns, we’ve found a renewed sense of place in our own neighbourhoods – without cars. Let’s leverage our new-found love for our local communities to usher in our very own largescale Aotearoa Neighbourhood Project. Why not run more neighbourhood events, craft pedestrian-friendly bylaws, and establish new norms that pull people out onto the streets to bump into each other and embrace local living - weaving ourselves into other people’s lives, into our place to stand, to belong and be noticed. He aha te mea nui o te ao? He tangata, he tangata, he tangata.
Merwede, Utrecht, Netherlands: Merwede is a neighbourhood in Utrecht, one of the fastest growing cities in the Netherlands. An old industrial area, it is now undergoing a transformation process based on urban planning criteria that puts clean and shared mobility ahead of the existing prioritisation of road traffic. The demolition works have already begun, and the final project includes sustainable housing for around 12,000 people (the first residents are expected to move in by 2024). The new neighbourhood of Merwede will enable residents to access all the services on foot or using bicycles. It will also be the most sustainable city possible.
Click here to read more on creating a decarbonised and equitable transport system in Te Ara Matatika: the Fair Path