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To: Auckland Council

Diesel-free Auckland 2025

By 2025, establish a low emission zone for diesel vehicles in and entering Auckland.

Why is this important?

๐ŸŒ We need to accelerate our transition away from dirty fossil fuel vehicles to avert climate collapse and clean up the air our tamariki breathe.

Low emission zones are now common in many European cities as a way to ensure cleaner air for people living in cities. The low emission zones tax fossil fuel vehicles and are automatically enforced by cameras that can read number plates.

We often think of New Zealand as being clean and green. Yet car pollution causes the death of thousands of people in New Zealand every year! Children, pregnant women, people with lung disease and other vulnerable groups are especially affected by air pollution from cars and trucks.

Recent research in New Zealand has shown pollution from fossil fuel cars is more dangerous than all other forms of air pollution. Older diesel vehicles especially cause more air pollution than petrol vehicles.

๐ŸŒ The Auckland car pool is extremely diesel reliant (23% of the New Zealand vehicle fleet), so we really need to de-incentivise the purchase and use of diesel vehicles in urban areas where people live and work. While there have been some steps to reduce harmful emissions, the number of diesel vehicles on the roads continues to rise.

๐ŸŒ If the low emission zone was phased in it could target older diesel models first, to get the worst polluting vehicles off the road first. If done right the policy will have the effect of moving more people into public transport, electric vehicles, and active transport. There can be complementary policies to encourage non-polluting vehicle use.

๐Ÿ’š Discouraging diesel vehicles from Auckland will help keep children healthy, prevent diseases such as asthma, and as a result improve their learning, school performance and quality of life. Given what us older generations have done to the planet and the future of our tamariki, we owe them this! ๐Ÿ’š

๐Ÿš™ Many people presently depend on diesel powered vehicles for access and mobility. As part of a just transition we support and encourage measures such as universal design, to ensure disabled, and people of all communities are not left behind. ๐Ÿš—

โ‡จ Air pollution from cars killing thousands of NZers yearly, RNZ https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/470457/air-pollution-from-cars-killing-thousands-of-nzers-yearly
โ‡จ Reducing harmful vehicle emissions from road transport, Ministry of Transport https://www.transport.govt.nz/area-of-interest/environment-and-climate-change/vehicle-emissions/
โ‡จ Low emissions zones, Denmark https://miljoezoner.dk/en/

Updates

2023-09-21 08:33:10 +1200

10 signatures reached