Rail and the Environment
Is Australia a major contributor to global greenhouse gas emissions? Australia accounts for 1.5% of global greenhouse gas emissions and has one of the highest overall emission rates per capita. In 2004, 17.5 tonnes of CO2 were emitted for every Australian compared with an OECD country average of 11.1 tonnes per person. This is attributed in part to the high dependence on private motor cars and trucks for transport. How much of Australia’s total greenhouse gas emissions can be attributed to transport and what are these expected to be by 2020? Transport contributes 14.4% of Australia’s total greenhouse emissions and is one of the fastest growing sectors of greenhouse gas emissions. Greenhouse gas emissions from total transport are projected to increase by nearly 30% between 2005 and 2020. What is the cost of road congestion in Australia? Congestion costs in 1995 were estimated to be $13 billion per year and these are forecast to increase to $30 billion by 2015 without action. In 2001 congestion costs were estimated to be 2.6% of GDP in Australia compared to 1.5% (USA), 1.9% (Western Europe) and 2% (OECD average). Road congestion adversely affects business productivity not only for freight deliveries but for individual employees. Long commuting time in private cars can cause stress, increased social isolation, reduced work productivity and loss of available time for family and community life. Light rail (tram) and bus operations are also affected by congestion. Has there been any significant increase in registered vehicles in the past decade or so? Yes, by around 26% in the period 1996 to 2006, from 11.4 million to 14.35 million registered vehicles. Approximately 80% of new registered vehicles are passenger vehicles (cars). More information Does rail have any significant environmental advantages over road transport? Rail caused 2.1% of Australia’s transport emissions in 2005. These are projected to increase to 3.2% by 2020 reflecting increased demand for rail due to improved infrastructure and increased public transport patronage resulting from higher petrol prices and increased traffic congestion. By contrast, road transport emissions are expected to be seven times higher than all other forms of transport by 2020. Learn more How energy efficient is rail? Urban rail is almost six times as energy efficient as cars. Rail undertakes a larger freight task than road yet uses less than 1 billion litres of fuel equivalent (diesel and electricity). For example one train Melbourne – Sydney takes 150 trucks off the road, saving 45,000 litres of fuel and produces around 44 tonnes less greenhouse gas emissions. How much fuel does Australia’s road transport industry use? Australia has the highest road freight per capita in the world and uses almost 6 billion litres of diesel per year. Are there any differences in the land used to provide a road compared to a rail line? Consider the following:
Ambient air pollution caused by motor vehicles is claimed to be a major health problem. What evidence is there to support this and how can the use of rail assist? Ambient air pollution caused by motor vehicles is a major health problem. In 2000, ambient air pollution caused an estimated 2,700 cases of morbidity and an estimated 1,400 cases of premature death. The main causes of death were cardio-vascular problems, bronchitis and other respiratory diseases. The cost of death and disease that can be attributed to motor vehicle pollution was of the order of $2.9 to $3.9 billion in 2000. Greater use of public transport, in particular train and light rail (tram), would:
What climate change initiatives has the Australian rail industry introduced to address environmental issues? The Australasian Railway Association (ARA) is coordinating the following rail industry initiatives:
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