Australia has renewed and extended its transport MOU with the US state of Michigan, with a sharpened focus on cutting transport emissions.

The international agreement confirms the willingness of Australia to work with Michigan to achieve a greener transport sector and commits to an ongoing partnership involving policy makers and automative technology experts, transport minister Catherine King says.

She says Michigan has long been an automative industry powerhouse, and the focus of the new MOU, signed with Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, will be on preparing a greener, better connected and more accessible transport future.

“It outlines our shared commitments to reducing emissions in the transport sector to help combat climate change, improving collaboration on future technologies for the sector, and enhancing supply chain connectivity,” the minister said.

“This MOU will drive our two jurisdictions’ future collaboration on ensuring our transport sector plays its part on the emissions reduction journey.”

The agreement also outlines Australia’s commitment to engaging with First Nations businesses for future transport business opportunities.

Australia and Michigan signed their first Transport MOU in 2018, with a focus on intelligent vehicle and road systems.

Australia shares a common target with Australia to achieve net zero emissions by 2050, with  Governor Whitmer signing an executive directive setting the goal in 2020.