Most vehicles arriving here need to be electric by 2028

Reducing transport emissions is crucial to New Zealand meeting its climate targets and action will have an immediate and lasting impact, the Climate Change Commission says.

Aotearoa can cut almost all transport emissions by 2050 – the technology already exists and is improving fast, it adds.

EVs are key and need to be widely adopted, commission chair Dr Rod Carr says, adding the commission wants to see the majority of vehicles coming into New Zealand for everyday use to be electric by 2028.

“We need to change the way we build and plan our towns and cities and the way people and products move around.

“This includes making walking and cycling easier with good cycleways and footpaths. It means moving freight off the road and onto rail and shipping. It means reliable and affordable public and shared transport systems. And it means an electric or low emissions transport fleet.”

Carr says most transport emissions are from fossil fuels used to power vehicles such as petrol and diesel used by cars, SUVs and trucks (91%), domestic flights (7%) and rail and coastal shipping (2%).

The commission has advised government it should have an integrated national transport network to reduce travel by private car, adding there needs to be much more walking, cycling and use of public and shared transport.

The commission believes many EVs will be doing lots of short journeys around town while plenty of internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles will remain in the national fleet.

It says the government needs to provide support and incentives to make the switch happen.

Use of low carbon fuels, such as biofuels and hydrogen, need to increase, particularly in heavy trucks, trains, planes and ships, the commission adds.

Carr says Aotearoa needs to maximise the use of electricity, so building more renewable generation such as wind, solar and geothermal will be required.

“Emissions must be reduced at pace while allowing the country to continue to grow. Planning ahead so that technologies, assets and infrastructure can be replaced with low emissions choices on as natural a cycle as possible will help business and industry keep pace with the transition,” he says.

“We need to almost eliminate fossil fuels.”