Oliver Peterson: Call to ban petrol cars within five years or not meet emission targets

Sydneysiders are being told they need to change the way they live under a radical new plan to decarbonise the nation’s most populous city.

Petrol and diesel cars would be banned in just five years' time and there should be no new gas connections to buildings across the city, a Committee for Sydney proposal suggests.

Under the plan, gas connections would be phased out from 2035 and there should be no new gas appliances by 2030.

The influential body of business leaders and infrastructure experts have said that without more aggressive action the state will fail to meet its 2030 or 2050 targets.

“NSW’s climate policies are leading the nation, but this research is a wakeup call that Sydney’s not on track for net zero – we’ve got plenty of work to do,” committee spokesman Sam Kernaghan said.

“To halve emissions by 2030, the only levers big enough to make a real difference are getting many more electric vehicles on the road, and reducing the carbon intensity of the energy we use.

“Both come with big social, logistical and political challenges, but the reduced energy bills that come with electrifying transport and buildings will be worth it.”

To achieve the projected reductions, the committee said that there needed twice the amount of electric vehicles on the road than the Steady Transition approach calls for.

All government and commercial fleets should be converted to electric vehicles by 2030.

“A petrol and diesel car sales ban, announced well in advance, would also send a clear signal to industry that EV charging, servicing and supply chain networks need to be in place,” the report states.

Modelling by the urban policy think tank released with the report said on average a household could save around $1250 a year in fuel costs if they could afford to make the switch.

A home battery could reduce those bills by a further $850 per year, and converting gas appliances to electric could save another $150 per year on average.

Endeavour Energy chief executive Guy Chalkley forecast that by 2027 more than 1.3 million electric vehicles will be on its network by 2040.

“Our customers are telling us that they want to take control of their energy to suit their individual circumstances and want us to ensure the grid is ready for this transformational change,” he said.

“We must take stock of the short-term volatility in the economy and cost of living pressures whilst now taking the opportunity to reposition the electricity system to achieve balanced long term customer outcomes.”

The report also recommended expanding rental and apartment access to rooftop solar and battery storage.

- by Courtney Gould, news.com.au

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