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Australian automotive industry reveals CO2 emissions for the first time

Some segments of the market are on track to meet their targets, but others are lagging behind.


The Australian automotive industry has reported its overall CO2 emissions for the first time, revealing how it's tracking towards its voluntary Emissions Standard targets for 2030.

For now, the numbers are industry-wide, with a breakdown of individual brand performance to come in April 2021.

Under the standards, the industry is working to two targets – one for passenger cars and light SUVs known as the 'MA' category, and one for heavy SUVs and light commercial vehicles known as the 'MC+NA' category.

By 2030, it aims to have reduced CO2 emissions from the MA category by 4 per cent to under 100g/km, and CO2 emissions from the MC+NA category by 3 per cent to under 145g/100km.

According to the new 2020 figures, the nation's auto industry is currently on track to meet that goal in the passenger car and light SUV space, but the heavy SUV and light commercial vehicle category is falling behind.

Last year, the the MA category reported average CO2 emissions of 150g/km – coming in under the annual target of 154g/km.

However, the MC+NA category reported average CO2 emissions of 218g/100km for 2020, above the 197g/100km target set under the voluntary emissions standards.

"It is important to acknowledge that today’s release marks the start of this journey to 2030s," Tony Weber, Chief Executive of the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI), said.

Above: FCAI Chief Executive Tony Weber. 

"It will be a long, challenging road and each of the companies supplying vehicles into the Australian market will move ahead in ways that meet their own specific product development and launch program.

"The sector performed slightly ahead of expectations in the passenger car and light SUV segment, however, was behind the voluntary target set for heavy SUVs and light commercial vehicles."

Mr Weber said the industry faced three key challenges when it came to achieving its 2030 goals.

First, he said, Australians continue to choose to drive SUVs and light commercial vehicles which tend to have higher emissions than other vehicle types, although their fuel efficiency is consistently improving.

"The nature of the market and customer preferences need to be considered when comparing Australia’s emissions result with other countries," Mr Weber argued.

Secondly, with the model development cycle for new cars ranging from five to 10 years, Mr Weber said it's "unrealistic" to expect rapid change over the next one to two years.

And finally, Mr Weber added, "Australia’s fuel is among the lowest quality in the world. We urge the Federal Government to accelerate the improvement of Fuel Quality Standards for Australia’s market fuels as this will enable the introduction of more of the fuel efficient vehicle technologies already on the roads overseas".

In issuing the latest CO2 figures, the FCAI also called on the Federal Government to adopt the industry's voluntary standards in an effort to encourage car makers to "bring the latest, safest and most fuel-efficient vehicles to customers".

Susannah Guthrie

Susannah Guthrie has been a journalist for over a decade, covering everything from world news to fashion, entertainment, health and now cars. Having previously worked across titles like The New Daily, Elle, Harper's Bazaar, People Magazine and Cosmopolitan, Susannah now relishes testing family cars with the help of her husband and two-year-old son.

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