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About EcoStation
What is EcoStation?
EcoStation is a joint initiative between the Victorian Environment Protection Authoritfy (EPA Victoria) and the Victorian Transport Association (VTA). EcoStation is a comprehensive resource centre for the freight industry that will assist individual companies to maximise their transport efficiencies and minimise their environmental impact.
The key objectives of the EcoStation program are to make it as simple as possible for companies to take advantage of the innovations available, measure the efficiencies achieved, and enjoy the benefits that will ensue.
Having said that, it is important to emphasise that the changes needed are significant - 'fiddling around the margins' is not going to make enough of a difference. But while changes of this magnitude aren't always easy, they are certainly achievable.
Why EcoStation?
The freight sector is the lifeblood of our economy. The Victorian Transport Association is one of Australia's leading freight transport associations and represents the interests of 800 members throughout Australia.
While our industry is recognised globally for its efficiency, we cannot ignore the detrimental effects it has on the environment. We are faced with the considerable challenge of reducing our environmental impacts while at the same time increasing our capacity to deliver what is projected to be a doubling of freight requirements by 2020.
As we move towards a low emissions future, the freight sector is going to be impacted by new regulations and mounting pressure from our customers, as well as rising fuel costs. To improve our industry's resilience and long-term future, we believe we need to be pro-active to drive efficiency and reduce our environmental impact.
It is in all of our interests to ensure the sector is sustainable in the face of climate change and other environmental challenges. The industry must come together and the VTA, with its 100-year history, broad member base and strong relationships, is ideally placed to help lead the charge.
Freight Emissions in Australia
In Australia there are around 2.9 million trucks ranging from light commercial vehicles up to heavy articulated vehicles. The fuel use of these vehicles is more than thirty-five million litres per year, mostly being powered by diesel fuel. As a group these vehicles use around 35.5 billion litres of fuel, and emit more than 96 million tonnes of CO2 into the atmosphere. As CO2 is the main GHG (Green House Gas) that human activity releases into the environment, reducing these emissions is a key step towards sustainability and battling climate change.
