The Climate Council has showed that more than two-thirds of people living in Australia are giving up their cars more frequently in order to avoid paying for the ever-increasing cost of petrol.
The nationwide survey of 1,150 Australians, which was released on Wednesday, also revealed that more than half of respondents believe that the long-awaited fuel efficiency standard, which was implemented by the federal government, would save them money at the gas station.
Before the end of the year, it is anticipated that the specifics of the proposed fuel economy standard will be made available to the general public. This standard will impose a yearly limit on the amount of emissions that are produced by new cars that are sold in the country.
It is predicted that the introduction will provide an incentive for cars manufacturers to deliver vehicles with low or zero emissions, while penalizing businesses that do not comply with the regulations.
In a survey that was carried out by Essential for the Climate Council, it was discovered that 71% of respondents had altered their cars driving habits in order to avoid paying for high gasoline prices. Of those respondents, 56% said that they attempted to travel less on a daily basis.
It was found that 54 percent of individuals who were polled believed that the standard will result in total cost savings for them.
Nearly half of the respondents, or 49%, said that they are in favor of the federal government, while 17% are against its establishment.
According to an earlier study conducted by the Climate Council in July in collaboration with the Electric Vehicle Council, an individual could save up to $1,200 annually if the federal government implemented a more stringent fuel efficiency standard, and they could save up to $10,000 over the lifetime of an average vehicle.
Dr. Jennifer Rayner, who is in charge of advocacy at the Climate Council, stated that it was time for the federal government to implement the requirements.
At the starting line, we can’t afford to go on indefinitely. According to Rayner, the federal government needs to push the pedal to the metal in order to accomplish what they have promised, which is to establish stringent fuel economy requirements that will provide drivers with a greater selection of cleaner automobiles that are also more cost-effective to operate.
“Every day that we delay putting a fuel efficiency standard into place, Australians are missing out on the three-in-one benefits of cheaper costs, cleaner air, and greater choice,” said the Australian government.
Some people believe that the policy on decreasing emissions is one of the most important factors in Australia’s efforts to meet its objective for 2030, which is to reduce emissions by 43 percent from their levels in 2005.
According to the federal government, the public consultation on a fuel efficiency standard received “overwhelmingly” positive responses across all 1,200 comments. This information was released in August.
After making a commitment, the government stated that it will finish an impact review and make the details of their chosen model public “before the end of this year.”
Catherine King, the Minister of Transport, stated that Australia had been “for too long” behind international vehicle markets and that the implementation of a standard would prevent Australia from falling behind.
The number of electric car models accessible in Australia is 91 as of the middle of the year 2023, whereas the number of models available in markets across the European Union is hundreds.
According to the Climate Council, stringent fuel economy regulations are “key” to assisting Australia in catching up to other markets.
