About CTAP

As a relatively wealthy region of the world, both Australia and New Zealand have clear responsibilities to demonstrate leadership in transitioning to cleaner transport systems.

This transition will require a holistic approach, involving:

• A shift away from fossil fuels towards renewable and human energy for transport propulsion,
• A reduction in reliance on private vehicles (e.g. cars) for mobility,
• A recognition of the significance differences in mobility requirements across different communities in Australia and New Zealand,
• Promotion of new mobility options which are sustainable, equitable and efficient, and
• An understanding of the implications of new transport technologies on other sectors of the economy e.g. the electricity grid, local employment, water resources, etc.

A transition to a cleaner transport system not only has the potential to deliver significant environmental benefits, but can also produce a range of social and economic benefits for the region, including improvements in public health, investment in green jobs, and lower transport costs.

A general lack of awareness of clean transport options, the publication of largely unfounded or exaggerated misconceptions, and existing policy settings, are presenting significant challenges to the local adoption of clean transport options. As such, there is a need for evidence-based, publicly accessible briefings, produced by a credible and independent research partnership, which can inform the local community of the potential opportunities of a cleaner transport transition.

Vision:

The Australia and New Zealand Clean Transport Academic Partnership (CTAP) seeks to support the development of cleaner transport systems, which are energy efficient and maximise emission reductions, whilst minimising negative impacts on other sectors of the economy.

Based on the best evidence available to us today, our vision of a clean transport system consists of:

• Prioritisation of public, shared and active transport over traditional private transport modes,
• Fully electrified road transport vehicles, predominantly in the form of battery electric vehicles, and including the electrification of roads (conductive and/or inductive) wherever possible,
• Electrification of rail, marine shipping and aviation wherever possible, and
• In the circumstances where full electrification is not possible and/or not financially viable, use of renewable energy for less efficient, non-zero emission propulsion pathways (minimal), including advanced biofuels, synthetic fuels and/or hydrogen.

Briefing Process:

CTAP uses a robust process for producing public briefs, which are evidence-based, and publicly accessible. The development process is as follows: