Driving a continent towards net zero
At a glance
In recent years, Australia has suffered numerous natural disasters that point to the threat of climate change. From severe droughts, catastrophic bushfires, and successive years of extensive flooding to mass bleaching events of the Great Barrier Reef, it is very clear that addressing this issue should be a top priority for both private and public sector leaders.
Encouragingly, the new Australian government recently announced ambitious climate targets for the country. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese pledged to cut carbon emissions by 43 percent from 2005 levels by 2030. With Australia being one of the world’s highest per capita carbon emitters, this is welcome news and brings the country more in line with other developed economies like Canada, which is aiming for reductions of 40 percent by 2030.
Transport is key
Research from the Australian Climate Council shows that transport is Australia’s third largest source of carbon emissions, with the highest growth rate. Despite pledges to address climate change, Australia’s emissions continue to rise, particularly in the transport sector. For context, an international scorecard comparing the largest energy-using countries in the world ranked Australia as second-worst for transport energy efficiency.
One of the key climate solutions highlighted in the research is decorbonising and powering cars, buses, trains and trucks with 100 percent renewable energy. While this might not be feasible for vehicles in remote and rural parts of Australia just yet, it is certainly the right idea for the future we are working towards.
For context, the global rollout of electric vehicles (EVs) is picking up speed, going from almost zero cars on the road in 2010 to over two million EVs in 2016. China, the United States, the Netherlands and Norway currently dominate the electric vehicle market. However, Australia has been a bit slower on the uptake, being held back by lack of policy support or incentives, higher upfront costs, choice of available electric vehicles for sale in Australia, and the availability of public vehicle-charging infrastructure. The last one is particularly key for rural Australia, as there is currently little infrastructure to support vehicles travelling across the country or interstate.
The private sector can lead from the front
While policy support is vital for Australia’s climate change goal, it is important to note the role private sector companies that focus on the transport sector can play in achieving it. Many companies, like GHD, operate large fleets for various transport clients. This unique position creates an opportunity to lead on the climate change front. Analysis, actions and learning our own fleets can inform the work needed to help Australia achieve its carbon emissions goal.
We took note of this opportunity and thoroughly analysed one of GHD’s largest fleets in Western Australia (WA), where we operate fleets on behalf of a large government client. The assets are a mixed fleet of all-wheel-drive sport utility vehicles and utility trucks that operate short- and long-range trips covering the entire state of WA, approximately 2.5 million square kilometres. The fleet comprises around 2,500 vehicles in total.
Using a comprehensive tool that GHD created called GHD ZEVOTM, we explored various pathways for the decarbonisation of the fleet. This analysis is completely agnostic and can be replicated for different fleet types and energy options. Using GPS, the ZEVO methodology mapped the daily operation of each vehicle in the fleet within the context of the state road network and layered in topographical data. This allowed us to map WA’s entire road system and create a database of the fleet’s duty-cycle and drive-cycle. Essentially, we analysed the types of assets we have, where they go, and what they do each day over a defined period. Through this exercise, we found that 70 percent of the existing fleet could be switched to zero-emission vehicles. We concluded that the ideal fleet of the near future would be a hybrid fleet of vehicles with a mix of EVs and EV-hybrids.
As a result, GHD is working with vehicle suppliers to change to EV and hybrid models and support the infrastructure required for full fleet electrification.
A call to action for transport
In developing this more sustainable approach to fleet management, we aim to help Australia achieve its 2030 goal, hopefully with time to spare. In the spirit of collaboration and sharing a common goal, GHD has met with numerous global transport companies to share the technology in the hope that fast adoption by the big industry players accelerates progress towards our goal. In this important moment, we must collectively put our minds together and share knowledge to create sustainable solutions for both our industry and the planet’s greatest challenges. We at GHD look forward to working with industry partners who share this mindset.
The Australian government announced an ambitious goal and we as a society must respond in kind to achieve the best outcomes for us all.