The Australian Capital Territory (ACT) Government has recently announced an ambitious and nation-leading initiative to ban the sale of fossil fuel-powered light vehicles by 2035. The government’s “ACT Zero Emissions Vehicles Strategy 2022-2030” was released by Chief Minister Andrew Barr and ACT Minister for Emissions Reduction Shane Rattenbury in July 2022. The strategy includes a range of progressive initiatives aimed at overhauling the transport blueprint and significantly reducing the territory’s carbon emissions. The plan aims to achieve 80 per cent to 90 per cent of new light vehicle sales being zero-emission vehicles by 2030 and the banning of new internal combustion engine vehicles for ridesharing and taxis by 2030. The strategy also includes a consumer incentive program that features free registration for battery electric and hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles, stamp duty exemptions, zero-interest loans, incentives for increased usage of electric bikes, motorbikes and trikes, and grants for installation of EV chargers in multi-unit buildings.
..the ACT’s new electric vehicle strategy is nation-leading in phasing out new petrol and diesel passenger vehicle sales into the future.
The landmark strategy has been well-received by public policy think tank The Australia Institute, with Richie Merzian, the climate and energy program director stating that “the ACT’s new electric vehicle strategy is nation-leading in phasing out new petrol and diesel passenger vehicle sales into the future”. The ACT Government not only has an ambitious zero-emissions vehicle sales target, but the policies to back it up. These policies extend beyond the cars we drive to more active and public transport options, which are a sure-fire recipe for a liveable, sustainable, and better-quality city.
The ACT’s goal of 100 per cent zero-emissions passenger vehicle sales by 2035 is ambitious, but only by Australian standards. EU member states agreed to a similar ban on fossil-fuelled cars by 2035 last month, joining a quarter of the global car market with bans in place – some aiming to make the transition as early as 2025. As cars bought in 2035 might still be in use 15 years down the track, any net-zero 2050 emissions pathway requires a fossil fuel vehicle ban by 2035 at the very latest. The ACT’s leadership has set an example for other state governments with net-zero targets to follow, and it is expected that others will soon follow suit.
