The transport sector is one of the largest and the fastest growing contributor to New Zealand's greenhouse gases, responsible for approximately 19% of the total greenhouse gases emitted in New Zealand. As the transport sector is also one of the largest greenhouse gas emitting sectors, the Ministry of Transport is working with other government agencies to reduce these emissions.
Here you will find Cabinet papers and minutes on Climate Change Policy: Overview of Progress Towards Reducing Transport CO2 Emissions and Climate Change Policy: Options for Controlling Vehicle Entry – Fuel Economy Standards.
The domestic transport sector is one of the largest and the fastest growing contributors to New Zealand's greenhouse gases and responsible for approximately 19 percent of the total greenhouse gases emitted in New Zealand each year.
The New Zealand Government has established a broad range of initiatives to reduce liquid fossil fuel consumption and its associated greenhouse gas emissions.
The Ministry of Transport is working with other government agencies to deliver a range of transport targeted policies as outlined in the New Zealand Energy Efficiency and Conservation Strategy (NEECS) and the New Zealand Energy Strategy to 2050 (NZES). The Government’s intention to develop an emissions trading scheme also has an impact on transport.
For more information on these initiatives can be viewed here.
To view the relevant documents go to:
New Zealand Emissions Trading Scheme
New Zealand Energy Efficiency and Conservation Strategy
New Zealand Energy Strategy to 2050
In 2008, the Government will publish an Update of the New Zealand Transport Strategy (UNZTS). To assist in updating the existing New Zealand Transport Strategy (NZTS), a discussion paper, ‘sustainable transport’, has been released. Its purpose is to set out the issues and propose a series of transport specific targets in the areas of sustainability, energy and climate change.
For more information go to:
Update of the New Zealand Transport Strategy
Most motor vehicles are powered by non-renewable fossil fuels. A major by-product of burning these fuels is carbon dioxide CO2, which is a greenhouse gas that contributes to global warming.
The New Zealand Government has signed the Kyoto Protocol, which is an international agreement that addresses global warming and aims to reduce climate change by reducing total greenhouse gas emissions.
New Zealand's Kyoto Protocol target is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to the level they were in 1990, or take responsibility for excess emissions.
The New Zealand Government announced a number of sustainability targets in September 2007. Two have direct relevance to the transport sector.
During 2006, cabinet decisions were made on the following climate change policies: 'Overview of Progress Towards Reducing Transport CO2 Emissions' and 'Options for Controlling Vehicle Entry - Fuel Economy Standards'
This paper outlines a number of Government initiatives already underway that provide climate change co-benefits, and discuss how transport sector initiatives can help the Government achieve its climate change objectives of reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The paper also sets out the context for ongoing work, and includes future report back timeframes on specific transport policy initiatives such as the development of a ‘vehicle fleet strategy’. The focus of discussion of this paper, as with its companion paper, is on the light vehicle fleet.
Read the Transport Overview cabinet paper September 2006Read the Transport Overview cabinet minute October 2006
There are currently limited controls or incentives affecting the uptake of fuel-efficient vehicle technology into the New Zealand fleet. Introducing fuel economy standards based on international best practice is thought to be one way of improving both the quality of the New Zealand fleet and reducing CO2 emissions.
The Cabinet paper looks at policy interventions for fuel economy controls and it identifies the preferred approach of working with the motor industry to develop options for a mandatory sales-weighted fuel economy standard. The paper also identifies the need to collect fuel economy data from all imported vehicles as a means of informing future policy options.
Read the Fuel Economy cabinet paper September 2006
Read the Fuel Economy cabinet minute October 2006
A discussion document on a sales weighted average fuel economy standard will be released in February 2008.
The Ministry of Transport is leading a ‘vehicle fuel consumption information’ project that aims to influence consumers to purchase more fuel efficient cars and to measure the fuel consumption of the New Zealand vehicle fleet.
This will be achieved by:
Regulations requiring new and used car vendors to display fuel consumption information at the point of sale are scheduled to begin on 7 April 2008. For further information click here:
For more general information, please go to: