Call for strong action on transport emissions

A Decarbonising Transport series has been created by engineering consultancy WSP New Zealand to support the Helen Clark Foundation The Shared Path report.

The Shared Path is the second research report in the partnership between the two and looks at the benefits Aotearoa would realise by substantially reducing traffic volumes in cities, outlining what’s needed to deliver this including adopting policies to incentivise alternatives such as e-mobility.

New Zealanders’ collective reliance on cars comes at considerable cost to the environment and society, foundation deputy director, WSP Fellow and report author Holly Walker says.

“The transport sector accounts for almost a quarter of our total climate emissions, and more than half of these come from private vehicles,” she says.

“New Zealand has committed to reaching net zero carbon emissions by 2050, but this won’t happen without a substantial reduction in private vehicle use.

“We’ve also committed to zero deaths on the road yet the more we drive, the more we crash – we simply won’t achieve our goal without reducing the number of trips taken by car.”

Low traffic neighbourhoods are suggested, along with a raft of possible community, local and central government actions.

WSP customer experience and strategic advisory director David Kidd says Aotearoa needs to take strong action to tackle transport emissions, turning the tide from a 45-degree growth in emissions to achieve a 45-degree decline.

“We have a decade, possibly less, to achieve carbon neutrality in transport,” he says.

“Our current thinking needs a dramatic overhaul to achieve this and requires policy change across a number of sectors.”

Alongside this, WSP experts have explored what it will take to decarbonise transport in Aotearoa through the lens of their own disciplines.

Kidd says WSP planners, engineers and scientists feel a strong sense of responsibility towards the built environment they contribute to, both through their work discipline and as social citizens.

“In delivering the Decarbonising Transport series, WSP has demonstrated its commitment to supporting technological and policy solutions that will help Aotearoa transition to a low carbon transport sector,” he adds.

“This will achieve the dual purposes WSP has committed to – zero road deaths and carbon neutral transport.”