The NSW government has released a new net zero emissions policy for heavy road and rail freight.
The Towards Net Zero Emissions Freight Policy focuses on reducing the carbon footprint created by heavy road vehicles and rail freight. Freight is said to account for 25% of total transport greenhouse gases in NSW.
The new policy will see the NSW government work together with industry to support the transition to low and zero emission technologies, and to ensure the transport network is ready to adapt as technology and solutions evolve.
NSW Premier Chris Minns says this is an important step towards achieving net zero, while working constructively with industries.
“Reducing freight emissions requires a genuine partnership between government and industry,” he says. “We’re always going to need a freight sector to get the essentials from A to B, so we need to make sure our freight industry is sustainable over the long term.”
The first step will see a two-year trial to give extra mass zero emission heavy vehicles, which weigh more due to their batteries, access to the state road network. This, says the government, means the industry can invest in the technology without sacrificing the payloads that underpin the freight business.
An online comparison tool has also been developed to support the transition, providing a free resource for the freight industry to source accurate information on the cost and environmental benefits of low and zero emission vehicles.
