The Australian Trucking Association (ATA) says a government-industry taskforce should be put together to target barriers preventing trucking operators from improving their energy efficiency,
The ATA’s formal response to the Federal Government’s proposal to create an emissions reduction fund claims industry is constrained in its ability to adopt energy-saving measures.
“For example, fitting aerodynamic fairings to the rear of trailers could achieve a 6 to 9 per cent improvement in fuel consumption. These fairings cannot be used in Australia because of the rear overhang and overall length limits on trucks,” says ATA CEO Stuart St Clair.
“Given these barriers, our submission recommends the Government should convene a government-industry taskforce to review these vehicle standards and regulations.”
The ATA has also used its response to continue its case for B-triples to be given greater access to the road network.
“The best way trucking businesses can reduce their fuel consumption is to use high productivity vehicles like B-triples or super B-doubles on appropriate routes,” St Clair says.
“By using B-triples instead of semi-trailers, an operator could reduce its fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions by 31%. But progress on allowing the industry to use these safe and efficient vehicles has been slow.
The emissions reduction fund is part of the federal government’s climate change policy to reduce Australia’s greenhouse gas emissions.
The Government intends to provide financial incentives to businesses that reduce their emissions.
St Clair says businesses should be required to demonstrate actual greenhouse gas emission reductions to receive funding.
“Businesses should not be able to claim credit for greenhouse gas emission reductions by other businesses or across industry sectors. For example, a rail operator should not be able to claim credit for reducing car travel or ‘taking trucks off the road’,” he says.
“These emission reduction estimates are invariably speculative and usually depend on the starting assumptions of the modeller. They are certainly not robust enough for a business to receive government funding under a legal contract.”
Furthermore, St Clair says funding should be issued to firms that make the lowest compliant bids, regardless of their industry sector or geographic location.
“Reserving chunks of the fund for specific industries or regional projects that would not otherwise be funded, would just increase the average cost of the abatement that is achieved,” he says.
