Transport Energy and Environment

Chapter 11

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This chapter provides information on the Australian measures of transport energy and the environment. Data is sourced from the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water’s petroleum statistics and BITRE estimates.

  • Road vehicles made up 84 percent of full fuel cycle greenhouse gas emissions from all domestic transport modes in 2022-23, compared to 9 per cent from aviation.
  • The national average price for petrol was 182.9 cents per litre in the 2022‑23 financial year.
  • In 2022-23, domestic road vehicle full fuel cycle greenhouse gas emissions estimates (carbon dioxide equivalent) reached a record high level of 106 000 gigagrams of CO2 equivalent.
  • In 2022-23, there was an estimated 56 billion litres of transport petroleum sold in Australia.

Figure 1 Selected refined petroleum products—Australian production

Figure 1 Selected refined petroleum products – Australian production

Figure 1 shows the change in production of selected refined petroleum products in Australia since 2009-10. It highlights how Australia’s production of these selected refined petroleum products is declining with time.

Figure 2 Selected refined petroleum products—imports to Australia

Figure 2 Selected refined petroleum products – imports to Australia

Figure 2 depicts the change in selected refined Australian petroleum imported for various transport industries as at June of each financial year.

Figure 3 Selected refined petroleum products—exports from Australia

Figure 3 Selected refined petroleum products – exports from Australia

Figure 3 shows the change in selected refined Australian petroleum exported for various transport industries as at June of each financial year.

Figure 4 Transport full fuel cycle greenhouse gas emissions

Figure 4 Transport full fuel cycle greenhouse gas emissions

Figure 4 shows full fuel cycle greenhouse gas emissions by transport mode in gigagrams of CO2 equivalent. Transport emissions estimates in Australia have risen steadily since 1974-75, except over the COVID-19 pandemic period, which saw them dip temporarily for road vehicles and domestic aviation. Domestic aviation emissions were most affected, almost halving from 11 116 gigagrams of CO2 equivalent in 2018-19 to 5 955 gigagrams of CO2 equivalent in 2020-21, while road vehicle emissions fell by roughly 3 per cent over the same period. In 2022-23, estimates of emissions from domestic aviation and road vehicles both increased to their new highest levels, 11 784 and 106 355 gigagrams of CO2 equivalent respectively.

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