Quietly announced on the Friday before christmas 2023, petrol quality and noxious emissions standards will be upgraded and implemented in Australia. The announcement is two pronged with an update to aromatic additive content of petrol to improve its quality that can enhance emissions reduction technologies, and adoption of the present European noxious emission standards, known as Euro 6d.

This is not implementation of a Fuel Efficiency Standard, but prepares the ground for such a standard. Only Australia and Russia, in the developed world, have failed to put in place a fuel efficiency standard.

The noxious emissions standard and petrol quality standard will apply for new vehicle models from December 2025, and new vehicles from existing lines in 2028.

“Following thorough consultation with industry and the community, new versions of new cars – including SUVs and light commercial vehicles – sold from December 2025 will need to comply with Euro 6d noxious emissions standards.

“The Government will also reduce the amount of aromatic hydrocarbons in RON 95 petrol. All petrol vehicles on Australia’s roads will be able to use the new grade, while the existing 91 and 98 RON grades of petrol will be unaffected.

“To simplify the change for fuel suppliers and customers, the Government will align the previously announced reduction in sulfur limits for all petrol with the new, strengthened aromatics limits. Petrol supplied from December 2025 will need to comply with the new standard.”

The new fuel quality and noxious emission standards is projected to save $6.1 billion in health and fuel costs by 2040.

There are good health and climate reasons for making these changes. The previous Liberal and National Party Federal Government kept dragging their feet on addressing noxious emission standards, and fuel efficiency standards.

It has meant Australia has become a dumping ground for polluting car models with old technology in recent years.

A Draft Regulation Impact Statement published in October 2020 by the Department of Infrastructure and Transport, under the Morrison Coalition Government, proposed to mandate Euro 6 in Australia for new light vehicle models from 1 July 2027 and from 1 July 2028 for all new light vehicles. The Coalition government dithered and did nothing. The present decision implements fuel quality standard upgrade and noxious emissions standards for new models sold from December 2025, and as per the Department advice, all new cars from 2028.

Noxious emissions produced by vehicles contributed to more than 1,700 deaths in Australia in 2015 – 42 per cent more deaths than the road toll for that year.

Melbourne University Climate Futures Academy fellows Ms Clare Walter and Dr Kelvin Say said the latest research shows that vehicle emissions in Australia may cause:

• 11,105 premature deaths in adults per year;
• 12,210 cardiovascular hospitalisations per year;
• 6,840 respiratory hospitalisations per year;
• 66,000 active asthma cases per year.

The researchers argue that while significant public funds are rightly spent raising awareness for the accident road toll, traffic pollution causes ten times more premature deaths than road accidents.

Modelling done in 2020 highlights what introduction of Euro 6d standards will do for reducing NOx emissions and PM2.5 particulate emissions:

In 2021 the road toll was 1,123 people killed. In 2022, there were 1,194 road crash deaths. This is an increase of 5.8 per cent from 2021. According to the Australian Automobile Association, new data shows road trauma killed 1,253 Australians in the 12 months to 30 November 2023 – a 6.3% increase on the preceding 12-month period. This is the highest 12-month road toll since March 2018.

While adopting less polluting fuels, reducing noxious emissions and more fuel efficiency is needed, there also needs to be campaigns to address driver behaviour, and encouragement for transport mode shift to use public transport and active transport, for those with the ability to do so.

The Eurpoean Parliament had scheduled a new noxious emissions standard – Euro 7 – for 2025, but has since deferred this for 5 years to July 2030. Australia should be prepared to lock-in Australia’s noxious emissions standards with Europe.

Many countries have also set a timeline for end of new petrol and diesel engined vehicles. Australia should consider setting such a timeframe.

In 2021 at the UN Climate conference COP26 in Glasgow a Transport Declaration had as its top item “A. As governments, we will work towards all sales of new cars and vans being zero emission by 2040 or earlier, or by no later than 2035 in leading markets.”

Australia has not signed this declaration but should adopt 2035 for ending sales of new fossil fuel based cars.

You can see a comparison of national zero-emission vehicle targets at Wikipedia

Wills Federal MP Peter Khalil outlined in an email on December 14 two other actions currently being taken to address transport emissions by the Federal Labor Government:

• $500 million Driving the Nation Fund, to reduce emissions in transport by building a national EV charging network.
• $345 million for the Electric Car Discount which will cut taxes by exempting eligible electric cars from fringe benefits tax and the 5% import tariff.

A national sustainable transport strategy is also needed to be co-ordinated at the Federal Level with the States and Territories.

There is also a role for Federal Government to support public transport infrastructure and active transport. Consideration of a national e-bike subsidy program is one possibility (see We Ride E-Bike Subsidy for Australians (PDF))

Climate Action Merribek contributed a submission in December on the Federal Government Transport and Infrastructure Net Zero Roadmap and Action Plan.

The Federal Government outlined relatively timid steps for an Electric Vehicle Strategy in April 2023.

References:

Ministerial Joint media release: Cleaner fuel and cars leads to multi-billion dollar health and fuel savings, 21 December 2023, https://minister.dcceew.gov.au/bowen/media-releases/joint-media-release-cleaner-fuel-and-cars-leads-multi-billion-dollar-health-and-fuel-savings 

See Also DEECCW News – New fuel quality standards to improve public health

Melbourne University, 24 February 2023, Vehicle emissions may cause over 11,000 deaths a year, researchers say https://www.unimelb.edu.au/newsroom/news/2023/february/vehicle-emissions-may-cause-over-11,000-deaths-a-year,-research-shows

Federal Department of Infrastructure and Transport, 19 April 2023, The Fuel Efficiency Standard – Cleaner, Cheaper to Run Cars for Australia, Consultation paper https://www.infrastructure.gov.au/sites/default/files/documents/fuel-efficiency-standard-cleaner-cheaper-run-cars-australia-consultation-paper-april2023.pdf

Federal Department of Infrastructure and Transport, October 2020, Light Vehicle Emission Standards for Cleaner Air. Draft Regulation Impact Statement https://www.infrastructure.gov.au/sites/default/files/migrated/vehicles/environment/forum/files/light-vehicle-emission-standards-for-cleaner-air.pdf

We Ride, Nov 2021, E-Bike Subsidy for Australians https://www.weride.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/WeRide_e-Bike_Subsidy_Report_FINAL-lores.pdf