Emission Reduction Initiatives

As part of global efforts to limit warming to 1.5°C, most countries, including New Zealand, have ambitious climate emission reduction targets. In New Zealand, the Climate Change Response Act (2002) requires all greenhouse gases to reach net zero by 2050. The current report provides detail on the identified transport policy levers to reduce emissions. In a parallel work, Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency commissioned Principal Economics to undertake research to assess how and to what extent generalised cost between private vehicles and public transport/active modes needs to change for mode shift to occur in New Zealand’s three largest urban areas.

The four categories of emission reduction policies identified are non-auto travel options, programmes for trip reduction, land use policies that reduce car travel demand, and policies that apply pricing.  Our Emission Reduction Iniatives (ERI) knowledge hub provides a description for each policy, the type of travel it affects, the method for measuring each policy’s travel and emission effects, its secondary impacts and other available information. Other lists and summaries are available at SuM4all (2019), ITF (2022), Transportation for America & Smart Growth America (2020), VTPI (2020), Byars et al. (2017), California Air Resources Board (2014), International Energy Agency (n.d.). Summaries with Australian or New Zealand context discussed include Wallis (2016) and Carran-Fletcher et al. (2020).

The identified policies overlap and interact in various ways. Many have synergistic effects – they are more effective if implemented together. Some compete; for example, ride-hailing may attract travellers who would otherwise use cycles or public transport. As a result, these policies are generally more effective when developed as an integrated programme that includes the optimal combination of strategies that maximises benefits and minimises problems.

Cite this article

Principal Economics. (2023). Emission Reduction Initiatives Knowledge Hub. Report to Waka Kotahi New Zealand Transport Agency.