Reducing pollution

You yourself can reduce greenhouse gas emissions and global warming by leaving the car at home and cycling to work...

• If you drive 15,000 km per year (the national average), you put at least 2 tonnes of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere per year (source)...

  Fuel consumption	Annual carbon dioxide emissions
  6 L/100km	2070 kg
  8 L/100km	2760 kg
  10 L/100km	3450 kg
  12 L/100km	4140 kg

  
  These estimates assume 15,000 kilometres travelled annually

• Cycling just 10 kilometres each way to work instead of driving saves about $770 is transport costs and 1.3 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions each year (source).

• Cycling reduces congestion. For example, a traffic light can handle 6 times as many cyclists as cars (source).

• Reducing congestion - less stopping and starting - is a good way to improve fuel efficiency (and so reduce greenhouse gas emissions) for those people who do need to drive. But reducing congestion by building more roads is not the answer, because that encourages greater car use.

  Studies in Perth found that vehicles in central areas have 19 percent lower fuel efficiency than the Perth average due to congestion but the central area residents use 22 percent less fuel. However, congestion-free outer suburban driving is 12 percent more fuel efficient than average but residents use 29 percent more fuel (source).

More information

• Impact of Congestion on Fuel Consumption and Air Pollution

• Fuel Consumption Guide 2002-2003 - by make and model

• Save money on fuel costs

• Fuel consumption and the environment

• Smog Busters

• Cycle Connect - Bicycle Lockers at Public Transport Nodes

• 1999-2004 Australia Cycling - The National Strategy

• Critical mass flier - facts about cycling

• Moving through the city

• Cycling Promotion Alliance Position Statements

• Sustainable Transport Coalition Policies