Many of us are taking time to digest the Climate Change Commission‘s draft report that was released almost two weeks ago.

The report lays out our nation‘s challenges clearly – we all agree with the absolute need to reduce our emissions over the next few decades. The commission should be congratulated for holding to its clarity and purpose.

For the heavy transport industry however, things aren‘t that clear. Our industry cannot accept the development of policy on a wing and a prayer. We can‘t proceed into a future where the technology that powers our vehicles is imagined, rather than real. Policy should be about the possible, not the probable and frankly, too much is unknown about the kinds of future energy that will power heavy vehicles.

I was pleased the commission acknowledged that the vast majority of the freight task will remain on the road. Road currently has 93% of the freight task in New Zealand because it meets the challenges of our particular market.