It just requires a shift in our thinking.

That’s the overarching argument of a newly published Climate Council report, which urges a dramatic uptake in bike riding, walking and use of public transport to steer Australia away from a deeply ingrained car-centric culture.

The “Shifting Gear: The Path to Cleaner Transport” report puts personal transport under the microscope, and lays out the types of emissions reductions we can achieve by reducing our reliance on private vehicles.

“Bikes offer an incredible shortcut for action on climate change” says Bicycle Network CEO Alison McCormack. “We need act now to reimagine our transport network now for today, and tomorrow.”

A nation of drivers

The transport sector currently makes up 19% of Australia’s carbon emissions, and is projected to go from our third to our largest source of emissions by the end of this decade.

Cars and light commercial vehicles make up 62% of those transport emissions, and are one of our fastest growing sources.

Between 1955 and 2013, the number of passenger vehicles registered in Australia ballooned from 1.4 million to 13 million. Across the nation today, there are 20.1 million registered vehicles and just 18.7 million people licensed to drive them. 

The numbers of bigger and higher polluting SUVs have more than doubled in popularity in the last decade, aided by tax incentives, and account for around half of the cars sold in Australia in 2022.

“In the 1970s it was unusual for households to have more than one car, if they had a car at all,” says Climate Councillor Andrew Stock. “The number of cars has increased and governments are making investments to support private car usage as a transport mode, rather than investing in active (bike riding and walking) and public transport.”

Australia spends the fourth most of any OECD nation on its roads, exceeded only by the US, Japan and Germany.

These factors have cultivated a transport system built around cars. In Melbourne where half of all weekday trips are less than 4.7km, 41% take place in a car. More than two million car trips taken in Sydney every day are less than 2km. 81% of people in Australia make their daily commute in a private vehicle.

So when it comes to ways we can rein in Australia’s carbon emissions, those produced through personal transport appear ripe for the picking.

An express route for climate action

While electric vehicles are growing in popularity and are an important piece of the puzzle, their impact will be gradual. According to the Climate Council’s report, only 4% of our vehicle stock is replaced each year, so converting to a fully electrified fleet will take decades.

It would also be heavily tied to a decarbonisation of the grid. A Tesla Model S powered by the Victorian grid in its current form emits 209.1 grams of CO2 per kilometre travelled, while an average Victorian car emits 243.8 grams.

The government has set a national emissions reduction target of 43% by 2030 from 2005 levels, but we need to do more than turn to electric vehicles to meet this. 

The Climate Council’s report models a few of the pathways forward.

Under the “status quo” scenario, we can expect to see a 34% increase in overall transport emissions by 2030.

Under a “strong action” scenario, cars would make up 43% of the transport mix, rather than 81%. Active travel would rise from 5% to 17%, and public transport from 14% to 40%. This would reduce personal transport emissions by 43%.

The “transformational and equitable action” scenario involves a 75% personal transport emissions reduction from 2005 levels. This is the action required for Australia to play its part in limiting global temperature increases to 2°C above pre-industrial levels.

Under this model, cars would make up just 36% of the transport mix, active transport would rise to 15% and 49% of trips would be taken on public transport. The Climate Council says we can achieve transformational change by more than halving private car usage, tripling active transport methods and increasing public transport trips by 3.5 times.

Sounds great, but how?

The Climate Council outlines a few key ways people in Australia can be encouraged to take up active and public transport. It also recommends development of a National Transport Decarbonisation Plan to guide the journey.

We’d need to reimagine urban planning to focus on moving people rather than cars and develop mixed transport streets that greatly increase the total people capacity per hour.

Other measures include building more separated and connected bike networks with minimal missing links, better integrating bike travel with bus services and creating safer streets with more 30 km/h speed limits.

The report calls for 50% of transport budgets to be dedicated to public transport with the goal of full electrification, and 20% to go towards active transport, increasing dramatically from the 2% or less most governments spend today.

“The most important thing is for governments to understand that converting the car fleet to an electric fleet is not going to solve the problem,” says Stock. “This work shows that the only way to meet these emissions reductions targets is to shift dramatically to much more active and public transport. That’s the only way transport emissions are going to come close to government targets.”

The UN has called on countries to invest at least 20% of their transport budgets in walking and bike infrastructure to combat climate change and disease driven by motorised transport.

“We know there is no time to waste when it comes to fighting climate change, and this report presents some powerful opportunities to make real and rapid change,” says McCormack. “The message is clear, immediate investment in active transport is needed not just to improve the health of our people, but to sustain the health of our planet.”

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The Australian Government has released its first National Electric Vehicle Strategy, a road map to tackle emissions in the transport sector by promoting a shift toward electric transport.

Bicycle Network believes this road map lacks a route with massive potential – the emissions reduction being carved out by our growing national contingent of e-bikes.

National e-bike sales ballooned from 9000 in 2017 to around 75,000 in 2021 as more Australians became acquainted with their benefits.

Owners enjoy not just a fun way of getting around town, but often a more efficient one, too. More than half the trips made by private vehicles are less than 5km, and e-bikes can cover these distances while avoiding traffic and saving a hunt for a car park. 

In 2022, the transport sector made up 19% of Australia’s emissions and is projected to become our largest source of emissions by 2030 (it is currently third).

Electric vehicles powered by renewable energy will help reverse this trend, according to the strategy, and “contribute to achieving our economy-wide emissions reduction target of 43% below 2005 levels by 2030 – and net zero emissions by 2050”.

The National Electric Vehicle Strategy looks to help these efforts along with new fuel efficiency standards, bringing Australia into line with much of the world. It also aims to increase the supply of affordable EVs, build the infrastructure to support their uptake and encourage an increase in their demand.

“The government has already cut taxes on EVs through the Electric Car Discount, saving up to $11,000 a year on a $50,000 electric vehicle,” says Minister for Climate Change and Energy Chris Bowen. “Thanks to the Albanese Government’s leadership, two and half times more EVs are being sold this year than they were at this time last year.”

Similar federal incentives for e-bikes could make a difference to their uptake, where the initial cost continues to be a big barrier. And they could also be a sound investment in terms of emissions reduction.

A Tesla Model S electric vehicle, charged on the Victorian grid emits 209.1 grams of CO2 per kilometre travelled (PKT), whereas an e-bike emits only 6 grams of CO2 PKT.

For these reasons and more, Bicycle Network last year joined other organisations across Australia in calling for e-bikes to be included in the National Electric Vehicle Strategy.

Governments around the world are recognising their environmental potential and introducing financial incentives to encourage their uptake.

Subsidies, rebates, vouchers and loan programs have been introduced in some states and provinces across the US and Canada, while a bill to give Americans a $1500 e-bike credit was introduced in US congress earlier this year. 

In France, a scheme introduced last year offers up to €4,000 for people to swap their older cars for e-bikes if they meet a certain criteria.

Australia’s National Electric Vehicle Strategy in its current form includes no explicit measures to promote e-bikes, but we see this as a detour rather than a missed opportunity. 

The strategy will undergo a major review in 2026 and there will be more opportunities for Australia to tap into the massive potential of e-bikes and expedite its shift to a cleaner transport system. The planet will thank us if we do. 

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In their latest report entitled Are we there yet? Clean Transport Scorecard tracks each State and Territory, Climate Council compares progress across Australia’s states and territories with respect to decarbonising the transport system.

Transport accounts for 18.7 percent of Australia’s total emissions, the majority of which come from cars and light commercial vehicles. So keeping tabs on our decarbonisation efforts is extremely important.

So which states are leading the way? In terms of overall reductions, Tasmania and the ACT are out in front.

In the past 10 years, Tasmania has reduced its overall transport-related emissions by a noble 18 percent, and the ACT have cut theirs by seven percent. These states also have the lowest transport emissions per capita.

Some notable mentions are South Australia and Victoria, who have cut their emissions by five and one percent, respectively. All other states have increased their transport emissions.

So what is the solution? Among many of the recommendations listed in their report, Climate Councils suggest that “States and territories should set targets for the percentage of trips they want to shift to active and public transport, and invest at least 50 percent of their transport budgets in public transport, plus 20 percent in essential active transport infrastructure, like walking and bike lanes.”

You can read the Climate Council’s full report here.

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The program is open for ACT residents to borrow from a range of e-bikes for up to 14 days without charge except for a small fee for insurance. The extension of the program will see more e-bikes models added to the catalogue and additional opening hours.

Since its opening, 237 e-bikes have been loaned as part of the initiative, with 86 percent of those who borrowed from the library suggesting that can see themselves buying an e-bike in the future.

The initiative is operated by SEE-Change, and its Executive Officer Brook Clinton looks forward more ACT residents discovering the benefits of electric bikes as the program continues.

“We’re thrilled to be able to continue to provide bike loans and test rides on a range of electric bike models to the community,” said Clinton.

“We’ve seen a rising popularity for electric bikes from a wide range of people. This includes commuters but also older folks or people with disabilities as they explore the freedoms that an electric bike can provide.

“With new ‘cargo bike’ models in the library, there is even more to explore when it comes to carrying kids and groceries and generally using these bikes as a second car replacement or even your predominant form of transport around town.

“The electric bike library is a great place to start if you are wanting to get back into cycling after a few years. Starting with a motor allows you to increase your fitness to a point that you are comfortable with. Our SEE-Change staff and volunteers are here to help you understand the benefits of an electric bike and how it may fit your lifestyle.”

ACT Minister for Emissions Reduction, Shane Rattenbury said that e-bikes provided an alternate option for transport to reduce emissions. 

“Transport accounts for over 60 percent of Canberra’s overall greenhouse gas emissions, so it is critical that we cut emissions from transport,” Rattenbury said.

“The Canberra Electric Bike Library encourages Canberrans to think about their travel options. No matter where you live in Canberra, you can borrow an e-bike for a week and test how it works for you when commuting, grocery shopping, or even on a school run.

“To help more Canberrans explore zero-emissions transport, we have added seven new bikes to the fleet, including an Australian made cargo trike and additional standard e-bike options.”

More information about the Canberra Electric Bike Library initiative can be found here or on the SEE-Change website.

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The YouGov National People and Transport Poll 2022, commissioned by the Climate Council, was conducted to better understand people’s attitudes about public and active transport.

Climate Council Chief Executive Officer Amanda McKenzie said investment in greener transport options is vital for combatting climate change.

“A cleaner, more efficient and affordable transport system is what Australians want and it’s also crucial for our climate,” McKenzie said.

“Transport is Australia’s fastest-growing source of greenhouse gas emissions and our country’s second biggest source of climate pollution.”

Jennifer Rayner, Climate Council Head of Advocacy,  said the findings show that Australians clearly understand the benefits of cleaner transport for both the environment and their wallets.  

“Investing in public transport and infrastructure for walking and bike-riding is much more popular than governments may realise,” Rayner said.

“Australians know leaving the car at home can deliver cheaper commutes, healthier streets and reduced emissions for a cleaner environment. Now we need the investment to back up that choice so it’s easy and convenient for people to move around in cheaper, cleaner ways.”

Bicycle Network’s Chief Executive Officer Alison McCormack said the results of the poll were encouraging as it verified that Australians support sustainable transport options.

“Polling released by the Climate Council shows Victorians support more bike lanes and access to e-bikes, confirming we are not only moving in the right direction but should probably be going faster,” McCormack said.

“Close to two-thirds of Victorians support more investment in bike lanes and footpaths, which is no surprise to us as we know most people want more places to ride separated from traffic.

“E-bikes are still relatively new in Victoria, and we’d give a thumbs-up to any initiatives that help people try one to see for themselves what all the fuss is about.

“E-bikes really are an alternative to car travel for shorter trips so government should be encouraging their uptake by offering no-interest loan schemes and support for e-bike leasing.”

Key findings for bikes:

•  More than two-thirds (67%) of Australians surveyed think governments should invest more in footpaths and bike lanes.
• When it comes to walking and/or riding a bike to get around, people would most like to see governments invest in building more dedicated bike lanes separated from car traffic (52%) and establishing more connected networks of footpaths and bike lanes (47%).
• The main reasons for states/territories to build bike lanes were to provide safe and affordable transport options for people.
• Most Victorians (61%) would be interested to try an electric bike if their state or local government offered them an opportunity to do so for free.

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There are many positive impacts that come with riding a bike for the individual and society, including improving physical and mental health, curbing greenhouse gas emissions, improving living costs, and so on.

The new study, published in Nature Communications, compares the global levels of bike numbers and ownership, then compares these figures with the level of bike use. The study goes an extra mile by comparing the data to car ownership and use.

Global bike production over the past several decades was actually higher than that of global car production: an annual growth of 3.4% between 1962 and 2015.

Across this period, the world has produced a whopping 4.65 billion bikes, which is 2.4 times that of global car production.

This is understandable in some respects. A bike is a single-person vehicle, so there may be multiple bikes per household and they are more affordable than cars.

However, when it comes to usage, the global observations aren’t clear cut. There is a lot of variation between different countries based on economy, population density, geography, culture and general transport behaviours.

The authors identified 5 ‘types’ of countries with respect to their bike and ownership habits.

Australia, for example, shows a high level of bike ownership (around 1.7 million bikes were purchased in the 2020–21 financial year alone) but the highest level of car ownership. When it comes to bike and car usage, the numbers are wildly different. Nearly 80% of trips in Australia are by car, and fewer than 5% of trips are by bike.

The authors speculate that the reason why bike ownership is so disproportionate with their use in Australia is the public perception that bike riding is a leisure activity rather than a means of transport.

At the global scale, the authors found that, generally speaking, high bicycle ownership does not necessarily lead to high bike use. In fact, bike use for the most part is pretty dismal compared to car use.

If we can reshape this thinking the future could be, literally, life changing. The authors claim that, if everyone in the world rode 1.6 km each day, instead of driving, around 414 million metric tons of carbon emission could be reduced. This is equivalent to Britain’s annual carbon emissions in 2015.

The greatest global barrier in leveraging the power of bikes is the collective will to rethink what our transport system looks like. To rethink our habit of hopping in cars for trips that could otherwise have been made by bike.

Simply put, we have tools for taking climate action but we aren’t properly using them.

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The bank is the lending arm of the European Union.

Its new policy is part of international recognition that transport emissions reduction is now an urgent priority in the face of accelerating climate change.

While many nations are working hard on decarbonising their energy sectors, they keep on investing heavily in roads for private vehicle travel, which has induced further carbon emissions from the transport sector.

Australia has the dubious honour of decades of climate policy failure in both power generation and transport.

The EIB has explicitly switched direction and now will prioritise “the shift from individual car use to public and collective transport, walking and cycling and the adoption of zero-emission transport technologies for the decarbonisation of public fleets, with the development of related infrastructure.”

“To complement collective transport projects, the EIB will prioritise investments in assets supporting active mobility modes, such as walking and cycling,” the new EIB policy states.

“Due to their relatively small investment size, these are usually bundled with other transport schemes in comprehensive urban or regional development programmes and justified in that context.

“Although urban areas provide the greatest potential for walking and cycling, priority will also be given to regional and interurban active mobility projects, including stand-alone projects or as part of a wider programme.”

The EIB says investments will be assessed and justified as part of the urban development of which they form part, where the primary objective is to support collective transport and active modes, road safety, traffic calming, climate change adaptation or the deployment of charging infrastructure for zero-emission vehicles.

It says that the current transport system, with its overreliance on fossil fuels and its adverse impacts on climate and the environment, needs urgent reform.

“The EIB will support investments that contribute to transforming transport into a more sustainable system, making transport systems safer, more accessible, greener and more efficient, and ensuring that mobility can meet the needs of the current generation without compromising its legacy for future generations.”

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In its new policy package Charging Ahead, the council has laid out transport policies that are essential for curbing emissions across states and territories.

The council emphasises the urgency of climate action, making a firm case that Australia must reach net-zero emissions by 2035 to keep global temperatures below 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels and mitigate the worst impacts of climate change.

Charging Ahead also stresses the immediate need for sustainable transport policy, given that transport-related greenhouse gas emissions re the fastest-growing source of emissions in Australia.

The council’s solution is a rethink of the transport system. In particular, Australia needs to move from a ‘car-focussed’ to ‘people-focussed’ transport system, dominated by active (walking and cycling) and public transport, rather than cars.

The policy package outlines 3 high-level recommendations for achieving near-absolute zero emissions across states and territories.

1. Plan for zero-emissions personal transport, which includes establishing clear mode-shift targets for public and active transport, transport strategies that prioritise sustainable transport, ensuring that at least 50% of transport infrastructure spending is directed to public and active transport.
2. Invest in active transport, which includes launching pilot programs to stimulate uptake of ‘e-rideables’, prioritising active transport links with train stations, expediting ‘shovel-ready’ active transport projects, and reducing traffic speeds.
3. Be a leader in low-emissions public transport, which includes moving towards a fully electric bus fleet, expanding public transport infrastructure, and moving towards 100% renewable energy across the wider transport network.

A vision of the future from Climate Council’s ‘Charging Ahead’ policy document.

In addition to its Charging Ahead policy package, the council released a policy brief that identifies 3 ‘wins’ that states and territories could seize in moving sustainable transport forward:

1. allocating appropriate budget for public transport, walking and bike-riding
2. encouraging e-bike uptake
3. converting the state’s bus fleet to clean, quiet, zero-emission vehicles.

“Good transport is so important for people’s quality of life,” the Climate Council’s Head of Advocacy Jennifer Rayner said when releasing the package.

“Everybody should be entitled to frequent, safe, accessible and connected zero-emissions transport options,” she said.

“The current model prioritising privately-owned vehicles is expensive. Personal vehicles are expensive to buy and run, require maintenance and cost governments in ongoing investment in roads and infrastructure. They also contribute to traffic congestion, transport disadvantage and high greenhouse gas emissions.

“To play our role in ensuring a liveable future and achieving the science-backed target of net-zero emissions by 2035, Australia needs to cut our reliance on private cars. Boosting walking, riding, rolling, and zero-emissions public transport will benefit everyone through less congestion, cleaner air and cutting harmful emissions,” she said.  

Many of the Climate Council’s policies align with Bicycle Network’s goals of encouraging governments to forge a clear path towards more sustainable transport options that benefit both the community and the environment.

You can view the Climate Council’s sustainable transport policy recommendations here.

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In 2020, the UK saw a 47% increase in Google searches for e-bikes. This increase is also translating into sales, with a 114% year-on-year increase in e-bikes and e-scooter sales.

The e-bike advantage outlined the following reasons for its popularity.

1. It’s easy.
2. It boosts confidence when riding in traffic.
3. You arrive fresh when you Ride2Work.
4. It’s the healthy alternative.

But what about its impact on the environment? While the emissions output of an e-bike is near-zero, one might argue that the manufacturing of e-bikes leaves behind a larger carbon footprint.

They might be right. But it really depends on the user.

The 2021 sustainability report by Trek calculated that the carbon cost in manufacturing an e-bike can be mitigated or entirely offset when it is used to its fullest potential.

Let’s put it this way. If you were to ride for 430 miles (or almost 700km) instead of driving the same distance, you would basically offset the carbon equivalent of what it takes to manufacture one of Trek’s most popular bike models.

Take the same bike for a longer ride, and you could essentially be carbon negative.

Compare this with cars (and electric cars): there is no contest.

The European Cycling Federation (ECF) estimates about 96kg of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO₂e) to manufacture a bicycle, and 134kg of CO₂e to manufacture an e-bike. Meanwhile, it takes an average of 5,500kg of CO₂e to make a small hatchback, and 13,000kg of CO₂e to make an SUV.

That’s a difference of more than 40-fold.

The difference is far more evident if we consider the life-cycle analysis (which includes the rider’s intake of food and its carbon footprint).

At a lifetime travel of 19,200km, a bicycle produces 25-35g CO₂e/km. E-bikes come in lower at 21-25g CO₂e/km, which is less carbon intensive as the rider is doing less work and potentially reducing their food footprint. Meanwhile, a typical car produces 220g CO₂e/km with 180,000 lifetime kilometres, and an electric car average about 160g CO₂e/km.

Switching to an e-bike from a daily car journey can save an average of 249g of CO2 for every km travelled. Scale it up for e-bikes to replace car travel entirely, and we’re looking at a reduction of 30 million tonnes of CO₂ a year (that’s half of all of England).

You can read more in this wonderful e-report by The Bike Storage Company here.

It appears that e-bikes should be the go-to for users who would need to travel further, and would also want to cut their carbon footprint. However, e-bikes are more expensive than traditional bicycles, and may not be as affordable for everyone who are looking to commute longer distances by bike. Schemes like an e-bike subscription and the slow, but steady, growth of e-bike sharing services can help with that.

If you are looking into getting an e-bike, but have more questions than is comfortable for you to drop the dough on getting one, our quick intro to e-bikes may help. It is also important to consider other options when you’re deciding on the type of bike you’ll need to get riding.

This article was made possible by the support of Bicycle Network’s members who enable us to make bike riding better in Australia.

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For people towards the lower end of the income scale, this is more than they spend on housing over the same period, and for all of us, more than we spend on food.

These eye-watering figures come from a new study from Germany that investigated the real costs of private car ownership over a lifetime of driving.

The costs turn out to be far higher than car owners estimate.

The study selected three popular vehicles on sale in Germany—the Mercedes GLC (SUV), the VW Golf (compact), and the Opel Corsa (small car) and calculated the private purchase and operational costs, and the social costs, i.e. the costs not paid for by the owner such as pollution impacts.

The private costs are based on data from the German Automobile Club and included vehicle depreciation, operating costs, fixed costs and repairs, maintenance and other costs.

The private costs of owning an Open Corsa for an unskilled worker were 36 per cent of their income over 50 years.

The social costs included uncompensated crash damages, air pollution, noise, land use and infrastructure, traffic infrastructure maintenance, street parking, resource requirements, subsidies, and climate change.

The social costs for a vehicle such as the Opel Cross were 41 per cent of the total costs, representing a massive effective subsidy to drivers by non-drivers.

This has major implications for the economics behind investment in transport infrastructure, especially for active transport and public transport.

The authors say: “It is important to consider policy reforms to more efficiently price automobile ownership and use in order to achieve various community goals including congestion reduction, infrastructure cost savings, reduced traffic congestion and barrier effects, increased traffic safety, pollution emission reductions, and increased fairness.

“Due to the diversity and magnitude of these external costs, a variety of policy reforms are needed to increase efficiency and social equity.

“These can start with removing direct subsidies such as company car benefits and subsidies for vehicle and fuel production, plus efficient pricing of roads, parking facilities, traffic congestion, barrier effects, traffic congestion, accident risk and pollution emissions.”

You can read the full study here.

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