Australians can look forward to cheaper petrol bills, less climate pollution and cleaner air, following the release of legislation for the long-awaited New Vehicle Efficiency Standard. 

In recent Climate Council polling, 80% of Australians said they are feeling the pinch of high and rising petrol prices, and over 70% agreed we need to do more to cut climate pollution from our cars. The New Vehicle Efficiency Standard will help tackle these challenges by giving Australians better access to cleaner cars that are cheaper to run. 

The Climate Council welcomes the simple and transparent final settings that will lock in these benefits for Australians.

Climate Council CEO, Amanda McKenzie, said: “Manufacturers have been dumping their dirtiest cars here for years, and that has got to stop. When Australians go to buy a new car, they should be able to choose a low or zero pollution option that suits their needs.

“Our cars produce more than 10 percent of Australia’s total climate pollution, and the average family pays over $5,000 a year for fuel. The New Vehicle Efficiency Standard will mean we can wave goodbye to those eye-watering fuel bills and unhealthy air, and get on the road to cleaner, more affordable transport.”

Climate Council Head of Policy and Advocacy, Dr Jennifer Rayner, said: “The final policy settings respond to industry feedback while keeping the focus firmly on delivering benefits for Australians. 

“Having landed their final settings on the New Vehicle Efficiency Standard, the Federal Government now needs to come up with other transport policies to keep Australia on track to hit our national emission reduction target. 

“Enabling people in our big cities to use shared and active transport more often is the best way to cut climate pollution quickly this decade. This shift to shared and active transport should be at the centre of the Federal Government’s upcoming Transport and Infrastructure Net Zero Roadmap.”

ENDS

For interviews please contact Zerene Catacutan on 0438 972 260, zerene.catacutan@climatecouncil.org.au; or the Climate Council’s media team on 0485 863 063, media@climatecouncil.org.au 

The Climate Council is Australia’s leading community-funded climate change communications organisation. It was founded through community donations in 2013, immediately after the then-Abbott Government dismantled the Climate Commission. We provide authoritative, expert and evidence-based advice on climate change to journalists, policymakers, and the wider Australian community. For further information, go to: climatecouncil.org.au Or follow us on social media: facebook.com/climatecouncil and twitter.com/climatecouncil