Greenpeace Australia-Pacific campaigner Violette Snow mentioned: “Australia is without doubt one of the solely international locations on the earth with out gas effectivity requirements to manage local weather air pollution from automobiles.”

“This implies we’re open to outdated, out-dated fashions which might be extra extremely polluting.”

Energetic lobbying from automobile firms towards the transition to zero-emissions automobiles continues, the Greenpeace stories notes.

For instance, regardless of traders’ protests final yr, Toyota lobbied the Japanese authorities to make sure allowances had been made for hybrids in its upcoming financial coverage, permitting them to be counted equally alongside zero-emissions automobiles.

In its report, Greenpeace says Toyota – one of many world’s largest and most trusted automobile producers – additionally has a global monitor document of lobbying towards automobile air pollution requirements, and actively working to sluggish the uptake of electrical automobiles.

In response, a spokesperson mentioned that Toyota was centered on attaining a long-term and sustainable future because it moved to its final goal of carbon neutrality.

“Carbon is the enemy, and, as the most important provider of hybrid automobiles in Australia – 290,000 offered since 2001 – Toyota Australia has made a major contribution to decreasing automobile tailpipe emissions on this nation,” Greenpeace mentioned.

Just lately, The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald revealed that automobile trade, by way of the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries, had launched a secret marketing campaign to delay Australia’s transition to electrical automobiles.

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Chamber chief govt Tony Weber mentioned the physique had been calling for a federally led, authorities mandated carbon dioxide goal for the light-vehicle sector since 2020.

“We stay up for working with the federal government to develop a plan to cut back automobile emissions,” Weber mentioned.

Australia is without doubt one of the few international locations within the Organisation for Financial Co-operation and Growth with out nationwide requirements regulating carbon emissions of recent automobiles. The federal authorities is contemplating a nationwide electrical automobile technique, which would come with requirements.

Electrical Automobile Council spokesperson Behyad Jafari mentioned: “Like the remainder of the world, Australia is now lastly having a dialog about transition to ZEV.”

“Sure, there are voices making an attempt to muddy that with dialog … however we have to concentrate on how we greatest encourage Australians to entry the automobiles they clearly need.”

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