The transport policy we need

Transport was responsible for 21% of our greenhouse gas emissions in 2017. Its our second-biggest source of pollution after agriculture. And the Greens have just announced a serious policy to tackle it:

The Green Party wants to make public transport free for under-18s, ban petrol car imports from 2030, and create a $1.5 billion "Cycle Super Highway" fund to build five-metre-wide cycleways.

A bolstered rail system with trains travelling more than 100kmh between major towns, and inter-city light rail in both Auckland and Wellington feature in the party’s transport plan, announced by Greens co-leader James Shaw in Auckland, in Tuesday.

This is the transport policy we need. All of these policies will get fossil cars off the roads, reducing emissions. The 2030 sunset clause on petrol cars will also give the market certainty about investing in EVs, and help drive the required shift. Not mentioned in the article but in the actual policy document is shifting heavy freight to zero emissions / renewable fuels by 2050 (its a harder problem ATM, so gets more time).

Meanwhile, Labour is promising the status quo, and National is promising more roads and worse public transport. Neither seems to have any commitment whatsoever to solving this problem, and National would actively make it worse. As usual, it seems that if you want a liveable future, you need to vote Green.