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GO CLEANER GO GREENER


THE ENERGY EFFICIENCY AND CARBON SAVINGS OF RAIL
GORAIL FACTS

 TRANSPORT IN AUSTRALIA
Transport represents 14.4% of all Greenhouse Gas Emissions in Australia - Rail is 0.37% Greenhouse Inventory 2005 Australian Greenhouse Office;
Australia has the 2nd highest greenhouse gas emissions for transport in the world and the highest total emissions per capita in the world; See the Comparison table of greenhouse gas emissions
The average Australian shopping basket of goods has travelled 70,803 kms CERES Food Miles Report
In emission terms one basket of shopping per week over a year for the average family buying 100% road freighted goods generates 3 - 11 times more carbon emissions than rail. (Calculations drawn from Apelbaum Consulting Group 2007 & CERES Food Miles Report);

RAIL FREIGHT
One freight train can take up to 150 semi-trailers off the road Based on capacity QRNational Intermodal;
Rail freight is 3 times more energy efficient than road freight Ausralian Greenhouse Office;
Rail freight can reduce transport greenhouse gas emissions by up to 75% Organise a Carbon Transport Audit;

PASSENGER RAIL
A freeway lane carries 2,500 people per hour and a busway 7,000 - A rail line carries 50,000 (Reference: Professor Peter Newman, Page 20);
600 people can travel to work in 500 cars or 11 buses or 1 train Based on capacity, QR Limited
CAN MANUFACTURERS AND RETAILERS REDUCE CARBON EMISSIONS NOW?
Global warming, driven by excessive greenhouse gas emissions, has now become a concern to most individuals and organisations.

While Australian consumers and manufacturers are waiting for clear targets and from governments on environmental issues, there is a lot we can all do right now to reduce our own carbon footprints.

Many Australian manufacturers don’t have manufacturing plants in each state and they ship their products all over Australia on trucks, sometimes covering thousands of kilometres from manufacturing to retailer outlets.

Not only does this add greatly to our growing road congestion, and create driver shortages nation wide, but it is also very greenhouse gas intensive.

THE FUTURE FINANCIAL COSTS OF CARBON EMISSIONS
There is a strong likelihood that all manufacturers in Australia may be charged for their carbon outputs in the future. Many organisations have already reacted without waiting for government regulations forcing them to do so.

Early actions by manufacturers are not only economically sound (reducing future carbon burden costs), but they also gain environmental leadership, being regarded as environmentally and socially responsible organisations by Australian consumers.

AUDITING AND REDUCING YOUR TRANSPORT CARBON FOOTPRINT
QR has developed capability to assist companies to audit their carbon footprint and provide rail based intermodal transport solutions to help you reduce your carbon emissions. Find out more about this on our Carbon Transport Audit web page.

Since 2000, in addition to the low carbon advantage of rail transport, QR Limited has reduced their carbon footprint as a member of the Greenhouse Challenge by 1.7 million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions.
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