Oz Vehicle Emissions Beating Government Goals

Carbon emissions from new motor vehicles in Australia continue to easily exceed government targets.

New figures from the National Transport Commission show the national average for 2014 fell 2.4% year-on-year.

Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries CEO Tony Weber says this puts the decrease over the past decade at 22%, far in excess of the government’s target of a 5% reduction in nationwide emissions by 2020.

“Around the world, vehicle manufacturers are committed to developing and delivering new technologies that reduce CO2 emission in their vehicles,” Weber says in a statement.

“Their commitment to deliver these technologies to the Australian market shows through in the average industry year-on-year reduction of 2.4%. This reduction is significantly greater than the reductions seen in many other sectors of the economy.”

Weber notes there is a greater consumer preference for heavier vehicles with larger and more powerful engines in Australia than in other markets such as the U.K.

“In fact, in Australia, SUVs and light-commercial vehicles now account for more than 50% of the new-car market,” he says. “This preference has changed from 2005, when passenger cars accounted for 62% of the market.”