Transport offers avenues for cutting our carbon consumption.
Over the past week or so, it is likely that you will have seen reports of New Zealand's recently announced 2030 greenhouse gas emission reduction target.
In case you do not know what I am talking about: following a period of public consultation, which amassed more than 17,000 written submissions, the New Zealand Government announced a new emission reduction target to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to 30% below 2005 levels by 2030.
This is equivalent to about 11% below 1990 levels, the baseline year usually used in climate negotiations.
This new reduction target has been met with some pretty hefty criticism.
Scientists have emphasised the need for New Zealand to be more ambitious.
So, what does this mean for transport?
Well, not a lot really.
Since the target is quite weak, it is unlikely to lead to the specific emission reduction strategies and policy measures that would lead to a transformed, low-carbon transport system.
But let us just imagine for a moment that it did; imagine that we (the New Zealand public) and the New Zealand Government all decided that enough was enough, and we were going to reduce transport-related greenhouse gas emissions. What might that look like?
It might mean the Government introduces a fuel efficiency or vehicle emission standard.
We are currently the only country in the OECD (a group of 34 countries including the UK, Japan, Poland and the US) not to have such a measure.
It might mean more funding would be put into creating high-quality urban public transport, while also disincentivising private car-based travel in urban centres.
The aim of this is not to disadvantage those who need a car, but to motivate alternative mode choices for those able to do so.
It might also mean improving and extending cycleways.
We are starting to make some progress in this space, with recently reported increases in funding for infrastructure, but if we are going to get people out of cars and on to bikes (which, incidentally would have some major health benefits, too!) we need safe routes and good facilities.
''But why should transport change?'' I hear you cry.
Well, in New Zealand, our private car fleet is pretty old and pretty inefficient.
And we depend on imported oil, which makes us vulnerable to issues with supply and price volatility.
Transport also accounts for 43% of energy sector greenhouse gas emissions.
This is far higher than other developed economies, partly due to the fact that we have a lot of renewable electricity generated in New Zealand.
But renewable electricity cannot help transport, can it?Well maybe it can.
If we make some (somewhat) bold decisions.
Imagine how great it would be if we could use our high (75% in 2013) renewable electricity resource to power our cars.
There are efforts under way to provide charging stations for electric vehicles across New Zealand, and while still relatively expensive, the price of purchasing an electric vehicle is reducing.
I think there is a lot we can do to make our transport system low-carbon, to reduce the environmental impact of transport and to also achieve all of our mobility needs. We just need to be willing to try new things, take a chance, and lead by example.
• Debbie Hopkins is a postdoctoral research fellow at the University of Otago Centre for Sustainability. Each week in this column, one of a panel of writers addresses issues of sustainability.
