With strong industry support for decarbonisation Roads Australia‘s Transforming Transport Summit heard about some of the challenges and opportunities as implementation gets underway.
In his keynote address, Richard Bolt from Nous Group discussed the convergence of the energy and transport sectors and introduced the Net Zero Australia project. He argued that Australia’s transition to net zero is akin to a new industrial revolution that will require huge collaboration and commitment from governments and industry alike.
Camilla Drover provided an overview of the Sustainable Infrastructure Program that Transport for NSW introduced last year as well as the opportunities around data and innovation.
Dr Jonathan Spear from Infrastructure Victoria agreed that building sustainable practice into the BAU of projects is helpful in driving sector wide change.
Kinetic’s Mackayla Hanney emphasised the need to get more people on public transport, seconded by Dr Jonathan Spear who noted the limits of what can be achieved through electrification alone and suggested that mode shift, urban planning, pricing of road and PT, and getting serious about active transport will all be necessary.
The panel acknowledged that there are many steps to be taken on the path to net zero, agreed that a comprehensive yet practical approach is needed, and said that the sector must celebrate ideas and innovation to encourage others along the path.
