To make our transport system more sustainable it needs to:
- be more resilient in the face of increasing change
- minimise negative impacts on the climate and environment.
Reducing emissions and building resilient transport systems also delivers wider benefits, such as:
Improving the resilience of our transport system in response to potential long or short-term disruption is also crucial. We face a number of potential challenges in this regard, including:
- the impacts of weather events
- long-term impacts of climate change
- disruptions arising from accidents, damage or incidents on the network
- fuel shocks
- impacts from new technologies.
Decisions must also be made in a way that reduces the risk of investments being 'caught out' by rapid change, whether arising from climatic conditions, technological developments or other forms of change.
How this can be done
Efforts to develop a more resilient and environmentally responsible transport system must:
- progressively eliminate transport
greenhouse gas emissions by reducing the need to travel, improving fuel efficiency, encouraging the uptake of electric vehicles and improving travel options (particularly walking, cycling and public transport) - to find out more, see Te Tāruke-ā-Tāwhiri: Auckland's Climate Plan
- identify parts of the transport network where disruption would have significant and widespread impacts, and develop appropriate strategies to improve their resilience
- progressively reduce the harmful pollutants that enter our waterways and atmosphere
- reduce the impact of non-permeable surfaces on runoff and the creation of urban heat islands.
Related information
