The Victorian Transport Association has hosted its second Alternative Fuel Summit, which was held to assist freight industry operators and suppliers prepare for a future that is significantly less reliant on fossil fuels and, over time, powered by renewable energy.
Under the theme of Decarbonisation for the Road Transport Industry – Next Steps, close to 200 delegates heard from over a dozen experts from industry, academia, government, regulators, and suppliers on the latest technology, policy and regulation on energy consumption, alternative fuels, hydrogen, and electric vehicles.
The program was designed around the four pillars of Targets and Regulation, Alternative Fuel Sources, Equipment, and the Commercial Realities of Alternative Fuels, with presenters giving generously of their time and expertise in helping delegates on their decarbonisation journey.
“The road transport industry is now firmly on a path towards decarbonisation as jurisdictions in Australia and around the world start to reduce their reliance on fossil fuels,” said VTA CEO Peter Anderson in his opening remarks at the event in Melbourne on October 19.
“This is what inspired our inaugural summit last year as transport operators are at various stages of decarbonising but are eager to understand where and how to start the journey. Decarbonisation can be a difficult concept for operators to get their minds across but it’s important that they do because the low and no carbon future is already upon us.
Anderson said accepting the reality of climate change and the importance of decarbonising is an important step, but it is the pathway towards transition that is most difficult.
“We have targets from governments, but we have little assistance and no definitive direction that can be implemented based upon current expectations around cost reductions.
“Operators need better certainty to make confident decisions and investments, and the information presented today will really help to inform their journey towards decarbonisation,” Anderson said.