The ACT government paves the way for electric vehicles.

Shane Rattenbury, of ACT Govt, at Birmingham's Zero Emission Vehicle Summit

With the Australian Capital Territory moving to 100% renewable electricity by 2020, it makes sense to address the next big emitter of greenhouse gases in the territory, transport. Earlier this year it released its Action Plan to accelerate the adoption of zero emissions vehicles in the ACT that will take it through to 2021.

Now the ACT Government has signed the global “Birmingham Declaration”, at Birmingham's Zero Emission Vehicle Summit, which commits stakeholders across the globe to take real steps to accelerate the move to low emission vehicles, enabling the growth of the market, and so developing innovative technological and manufacturing advances.

Key signatories include the UK, Denmark, Netherlands, France, Barbados, Poland, Italy, Portugal, United Arab Emirates, and now the ACT.

Shane Rattenbury, the ACT Minister for Climate Change and Sustainability, stated that: “With transport expected to create over 60% of the ACT’s emissions by 2020, mostly from private car use, we are strongly committed to reducing greenhouse gases by encouraging active travel, providing high quality low emissions public transport options and transitioning to zero emissions vehicles."

Under the Territory’s Transition to Zero Emissions Vehicles Action Plan, the ACT Government is committed to a number of key actions including but not limited to:

- transitioning the ACT Government’s passenger vehicles fleet to zero emissions vehicles from 2020-21

- requiring all new multi-unit and mixed-use developments to install vehicle charging infrastructure

- providing transit lane access to zero emissions vehicles until 2023

- supporting new and innovative businesses in the zero emissions vehicle sector to maximise job creation and economic development in the ACT.

Read more at:

The ACT powers ahead on electric vehicles. The Driven, September 12, 2018.

SEEREE (South East Region  of Renewable Energy Excellence: http://www.serree.org.au/knowledge/news/article/?id=the-act-powers-ahead-on-electric-vehicles