Estimating the Emission Reduction Potential of Australian Transport

Abstract: The Australian Low Carbon Transport Forum (ALCTF) – initiated by ARRB Group, BITRE and CSIRO – was organised to gather knowledge on possible options for transport emission abatement, with the participation of a diverse range of government, industry, academic and other research organisations. The ALCTF aimed: to generate a list of options with the potential to significantly improve the efficiency of the Australian transport sector; identify the possible magnitude of greenhouse gas emission reductions for each option, both individually and when combined; examine challenges to achieving the options ’ full potential and investigate any uncertainties, especially concerning their likely effectiveness. This interdisciplinary study analysed a wide range of emission abatement prospects, covering vehicle and fuel technologies, infrastructure improvements and land-use planning, travel demand management, mode shifts and other behavioural change. A novel aggregation process was developed, to estimate the maximal potential reduction, by 2050, from a full package of measures acting together – with the results demonstrating that large reductions in currently projected greenhouse gas emission levels should be technically feasible, even with increasing population, without sacrificing access to transport services