Campaigns to get ‘Clean Car’ plan back on track

Calls for action on the Government’s proposed ‘Clean Car’ plan, which includes a ‘feebate’ and emission standards, have come from advocates concerned about reports it may be scrapped.

Both Generation Zero and EV advocate William Stewart are urging New Zealand First to support the proposals, the latter even providing an open letter which visitors to the Electric Vehicle Advocacy site can sign and send.

Stewart suggests the Clean Car Discount will help increase EV adoption, which will help New Zealanders save $627 million in fuel, and reduce CO²/e by around 1.6million tonnes over the programme’s three-year span.

Likewise, he says the Clean Car Standard would save New Zealanders $3.4 billion at the pump, and around $6800 per vehicle due to requiring more efficient vehicles to be sold in New Zealand, reducing around 5.1million tonnes of CO²/e.

“This bill is still under negotiation, with both Greens and Labour supporting the bill, but we need your help to reach NZ First to assure them that voters do understand the benefits these measures offer, and that we do want climate action, and that we do expect them to pass policy, not block them in this coalition government,” Stewart says. “Especially policies such as these that are so beneficial to every New Zealander.”

Generation Zero is also running a campaign to have New Zealand First back the ‘feebate’ and emissions reduction schemes.

“This is an opportunity to be part of a meaningful climate emissions reduction scheme that is desperately needed to begin reducing Aotearoa’s transport emissions and acting on the climate crisis – a crisis causing devastating bushfires and driving hundreds of thousands of people to the streets,” it says.

Generation Zero says transport is responsible for 39% of Aotearoa’s carbon emissions, and measures to reduce pollution from high-emissions vehicles are a key step towards the urgent climate action New Zealand needs to take.

Its campaign suggests Kiwis should prioritise environmental policies in deciding how to vote with the general election approaching on September 19.

Meanwhile, EV group Drive Electric has criticised the delay in introducing the ‘Clean Car’ policy.