March 14, 2010
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March 14, 2010
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SITUATION
Increasing mobility of goods and people is driving transport demand and associated CO2e emissions. Emissions from the transport sector are growing faster than industry and building emissions and contributing significantly to rising CO2e levels that lead to dangerous climate change.
Increasing mobility of goods and people is driving transport demand and associated CO2e emissions. Emissions from the transport sector are growing faster than industry and building emissions and contributing significantly to rising CO2e levels that lead to dangerous climate change. By 2020, annual CO2e emissions are projected to rise by close to 2 billion tons above the more than 6 billion tons –roughly 20% of energy-related emissions – in 2009. A number of opportunities have been identified to achieve a low-carbon and sustainable transport future.
Reform in the transport sector has proven difficult due in large part to the capital-intensive nature of the industry, sunk investment in existing infrastructure, and a lack of market or regulatory incentives for more fuel efficient transport. In addition to these barriers, a history of globally subsidized carbon-based fuels has deterred investment in alternatives. High prices and projected price increases for fossil fuels has been changing that, and alternative fuels for all segments of the transport sector are under development. Under current projections, however, the dominant dependence still is on petroleum, which supplies 95% of transport energy.
OBJECTIVE
Significant CO2e reductions are attainable in the near-term through efficiency gains, existing vehicle technologies, and alternative fuels. New business models that reduce upfront costs of these technologies through financing or leasing to accelerate adoption and supporting policy are needed for alternative fuels.
Significant CO2e reductions are attainable in the near-term through efficiency gains, existing vehicle technologies, and alternative fuels. New business models that reduce upfront costs of these technologies through financing or leasing to accelerate adoption and supporting policy are needed for alternative fuels. Potential CO2e mitigation in the transport sector is estimated at between 1.6 and 2.6 billion tons a year by the IPCC, a conservative number based on current markets and existing proven technologies (primarily biofuel adoption and increased efficiency in light-duty vehicles).
Additional savings in a shorter time-frame can almost certainly be achieved through more aggressive investment in an array of transport technologies. In the light-duty vehicle sector alone, the IPCC estimates that with strong policy reductions of 50% in CO2e emissions could come through fuel economy. Regulatory reform will be required to address public transport options and infrastructure upgrades and possibly fuel economy standards that will drive further low-carbon innovation. Investment in R&D is also important for next generation technologies that will end petroleum dependence.
Leverage points in transport can be divided into three categories:
- reduced use of carbon-based fuels due to efficiency, fuel substitution, and public transportation
- lower embodied energy in vehicle manufacture with a move to less carbon-intensive materials such as carbon fiber
- advanced business models to shift static capital from personal balance sheets to more fluid financing methods that can redeploy the capital.
TRANSPORT ISSUES MUST BE ADDRESSED
The transport sector is responsible for more than 6 billion tons of CO2e annually - approximately 20% of energy-related emissions. ...
Image: M. Ortiz...
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LDVS EMIT 6% OF GLOBAL CO2E 
Light duty vehicles that include cars and light trucks emit more than 3 billion tons of CO2e annually, or approximately 6% of total anthropogenic emissions according to the IPCC. The...
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AIR TRAVEL IS MAJOR CO2E SOURCE
The aviation industry is responsible for an estimated 3%, or 1.5 billion tons, of annual anthropogenic CO2e emissions. At its current growth rate, the IPCC estimates that the industry...
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TRANSPORT EMISSIONS ARE RISING
Under business-as-usual, transport emissions continue to increase dramatically and are a major contributor to rising CO2e levels that lead to catastrophic climate change.
Read more > Source: IPCC, 2007
TRAINS ARE EFFICENT LOW-CARBON TRANSPORT
Trains are an efficient means of transport. Whether moving people or freight, trains have become a fast and low emissions option for transportation. With track availability as a binding constraint...
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TRANSPORT ENERGY USE IS RISING
Reliance on petroleum, which supplies approximately 95% of transport energy, is driving CO2e emissions growth in the transport sector at a dangerous rate.
Read more > Source: IPCC, 2007INTELLIGENCE
REPORTS
Urban Land Institute, 2009
EPA, 2009
MIT, 2008
Electric Power Research Institute, 2007
PUBLICATIONS
MIT Press, 2009
D. Sperling & D. Gordon
Oxford University Press, 2009
Oxford University Press, 2009
OECD and International Transport Forum, 2008
