A shift to coastal shipping and rail could cut NZ's freight transport emissions -- why aren't we doing it?

• According to a recent study, coastal shipping produces a fifth of the carbon emissions (well-to-wheel) of road freight.
• Despite this, trucking accounts for nearly 80% of New Zealand’s heavy goods transport, and a 94.5% share of the total emissions from heavy freight transport.
• This study represents the most comprehensive comparison of freight emissions for different carriers to date for Aotearoa New Zealand.

We need to reconsider how we operate

• But despite the benefits of sea and rail transport, it remains unclear how to achieve the shift to new infrastructure and technologies.
• A key requirement is access to an efficient multi-modal network that integrates ports, inland terminals, distribution hubs, roads and railways.
• We can achieve economies of scale by transporting larger volumes of goods, which would lead to cheaper costs per unit.

Where to from here

• Beyond our research, we’ll need complementary work to investigate the technical and economic feasibility of non-fossil propulsion technologies.
• We’ll have to take a holistic approach to map feasibility hurdles (technical challenges, material needs, system architecture and integration) that must be overcome.
• The ultimate goal is to decrease fossil fuel demand and emissions while ensuring long-term economic and trading resilience.
• The notion of adaptation also has to extend further than the current focus on physical protection against extreme weather events.