Transport is NOT on track

It is an awkward truth, but Australia’s transport sector is not on track to deliver the reductions in carbon emissions that are expected of it. In fact, all forecasts now predict transport emissions to increase for the next five years at least.

The proportion of cars on Australian roads that are zero emission is 1%. The proportion of trucks is even smaller. And yet cars and trucks contribute to 60% of the country’s transport emissions, and indeed 10% of Australia’s total emission (figures from National Electric Vehicle Strategy).

The dominant reasons for the slow progress are the unattractiveness of the business case, the high cost and limited choice of vehicles, and the limited availability of recharging / refuelling facilities. These problems are all being addressed but they cannot be solved overnight.

Given this hiatus, it is incumbent on us to resolve what we CAN do. We have to look for initiatives or trials that we can undertake now.

Sustainability is one of the themes in iMOVE’s research portfolio and we are actively looking for initiatives we can take in this space (link to road map submission)

And even though iMOVE has only three years left, we are keen to undertake more projects in this area.

 iMOVE National R&D Conference 2024

The topic of decarbonising transport will be a strong area of focus at the upcoming iMOVE National R&D Conference 2024, taking place in Brisbane on October 23 and 24, 2024.

But there will be a strong focus on a number of hot button transport issues, including transport planning, regional transport, road safety, micromobility, equitable transport, freight and logistics, and more.

Visit the Program page of the iMOVE National R&D Conference 2024 for more information on topics and speakers, and to the Registration link for the conference. I look forward to seeing you there and having us all in the one place to hear about and discuss issues and ideas important to the future of all Australians.

STOP PRESS: A free new event, Our Future Freight

Immediately following the two-day iMOVE National R&D Conference 2024 the day after in fact, we are running a separate event, Our Future Freight.

Most organisations in the freight sector are keen to take advantage of the opportunities brought about by a growing freight task and advances in technology that allow for greater efficiency. This drive for profitability through efficiency can be balanced with the growing imperative to decarbonise our transport networks and this is not a one-size-fits-all response.

So, what are ways to achieve a win-win situation for businesses and for the environment?

This event is a step in the right direction. We will explore advances in data and AI and testing, trialling and roll out of new technologies and different approaches to achieving efficiency and sustainability.

iMOVE specialises in bringing together the different voices, ideas and expertise needed to progress R&D initiatives in transport, and we hope you can join us to that end in October.

• Date: Friday 25 October
• Location: QUT Kelvin Grove
• Registration: Visit the Our Future Freight event website
• Cost:This is a free event (and a networking lunch is included!)

Let’s talk!

If you are involved in any of these transport improvement processes I encourage you to engage with iMOVE to explore how your efforts could be scaled and leveraged.

We look forward to hearing from you.