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36824 | Cars, planes, trains: where do CO2 emissions from transport come from? | co2-emissions-from-transport | post | publish | <!-- wp-block-tombstone 45118 --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Transport accounts for around one-fifth of global carbon dioxide (CO<sub>2</sub>) emissions <em>[24% if we only consider CO<sub>2</sub> emissions from energy]</em>.{ref}The <em>World Resource Institute</em>’s Climate Data Explorer <a href="https://www.climatewatchdata.org/data-explorer/historical-emissions?historical-emissions-data-sources=cait&historical-emissions-gases=co2&historical-emissions-regions=All%20Selected&historical-emissions-sectors=total-including-lucf%2Ctransportation&page=1&sort_col=country&sort_dir=ASC">provides data</a> from CAIT on the breakdown of emissions by sector. In 2016, global CO<sub>2</sub> emissions (including land use) were 36.7 billion tonnes CO<sub>2</sub>; emissions from transport were 7.9 billion tonnes CO<sub>2</sub>. Transport therefore accounted for 7.9 / 36.7 = 21% of global emissions. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The IEA <a href="https://www.iea.org/data-and-statistics/?country=WORLD&fuel=CO2%20emissions&indicator=TotCO2">looks at CO<sub>2</sub> emissions</a> from energy production alone – in 2018 it reported 33.5 billion tonnes of energy-related CO<sub>2</sub> [hence, transport accounted for 8 billion / 33.5 billion = 24% of energy-related emissions.{/ref}</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>How do these emissions break down? Is it cars, trucks, planes or trains that dominate?</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>In the chart here we see global transport emissions in 2018. This data is <a href="https://www.iea.org/data-and-statistics/charts/transport-sector-co2-emissions-by-mode-in-the-sustainable-development-scenario-2000-2030">sourced from</a> the <em>International Energy Agency (IEA)</em>. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Road travel accounts for three-quarters of transport emissions. Most of this comes from passenger vehicles – cars and buses – which contribute 45.1%. The other 29.4% comes from trucks carrying freight.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Since the entire transport sector accounts for 21% of total emissions, and road transport accounts for three-quarters of transport emissions, road transport accounts for 15% of total CO<sub>2</sub> emissions.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Aviation – while it often gets the most attention in discussions on action against climate change – accounts for only 11.6% of transport emissions. It emits just under one billion tonnes of CO<sub>2</sub> each year – around 2.5% of total global emissions <em>[we look at the role that air travel plays in climate change in more detail in an upcoming article]</em>. International shipping contributes a similar amount, at 10.6%. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Rail travel and freight emits very little – only 1% of transport emissions. Other transport – which is mainly the movement of materials such as water, oil, and gas via pipelines – is responsible for 2.2%.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:image {"id":36825,"sizeSlug":"large"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://owid.cloud/app/uploads/2020/10/Transport-CO2-emissions-by-mode-bar-chart-800x315.png" alt="" class="wp-image-36825"/></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":4} --> <h4>Towards zero-carbon transport: how can we expect the sector’s CO<sub>2</sub> emissions to change in the future?</h4> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:columns --> <div class="wp-block-columns"><!-- wp:column --> <div class="wp-block-column"><!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Transport demand is expected to grow across the world in the coming decades as the global population increases, incomes rise, and more people can afford cars, trains and flights. In its <em>Energy Technology Perspectives</em> report, the International Energy Agency (IEA) expects global transport (measured in passenger-kilometers) to double, car ownership rates to increase by 60%, and demand for passenger and freight aviation to triple by 2070.{ref}IEA (2020), <a href="https://www.iea.org/reports/energy-technology-perspectives-2020">Energy Technology Perspectives 2020</a>, IEA, Paris.{/ref} Combined, these factors would result in a large increase in transport emissions.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>But major technological innovations can help offset this rise in demand. As the world shifts towards lower-carbon electricity sources, the rise of electric vehicles offers a viable option to reduce emissions from passenger vehicles.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>This is reflected in the IEA’s <em>Energy Technology Perspective</em> report. There it outlines its “Sustainable Development Scenario” for reaching net-zero CO2 emissions from global energy by 2070. The pathways for the different elements of the transport sector in this optimistic scenario are shown in the visualization.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>We see that with electrification- and hydrogen- technologies some of these sub-sectors could decarbonize within decades. The IEA scenario assumes the phase-out of emissions from motorcycles by 2040; rail by 2050; small trucks by 2060; and although emissions from cars and buses are not completely eliminated until 2070, it expects many regions, including the European Union; United States; China and Japan to have phased-out conventional vehicles as early as 2040.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Other transport sectors will be much more difficult to decarbonize.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>In a paper published in <em>Science</em>, Steven Davis and colleagues looked at our options across sectors to reach a net-zero emissions energy system.{ref}Davis, S. J., Lewis, N. S., Shaner, M., Aggarwal, S., Arent, D., Azevedo, I. L., ... & Clack, C. T. (2018). <a href="https://science.sciencemag.org/content/360/6396/eaas9793.full">Net-zero emissions energy systems</a>. <em>Science</em>, 360(6396).{/ref} They highlighted long-distance road freight (large trucks), aviation and shipping as particularly difficult to eliminate. The potential for hydrogen as a fuel, or battery electricity to run planes, ships and large trucks is limited by the range and power required; the size and weight of batteries or hydrogen fuel tanks would be <em>much</em> larger and heavier than current combustion engines.{ref}Cecere, D., Giacomazzi, E., & Ingenito, A. (2014). <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0360319914011847">A review on hydrogen industrial aerospace applications</a>. <em>International Journal of Hydrogen Energy</em>, <em>39</em>(20), 10731-10747.{/ref}<sup>,</sup>{ref}Fulton, L. M., Lynd, L. R., Körner, A., Greene, N., & Tonachel, L. R. (2015). <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/bbb.1559">The need for biofuels as part of a low carbon energy future</a>. <em>Biofuels, Bioproducts and Biorefining</em>, 9(5), 476-483.{/ref}</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>So, despite falling by three-quarters in the visualized scenario, emissions from these sub-sectors would still make transport the largest contributor to energy-related emissions in 2070. To reach net-zero for the energy sector as a whole, these emissions would have to be offset by ‘negative emissions’ (e.g. the capture and storage of carbon from bioenergy or <a href="https://www.iea.org/reports/direct-air-capture">direct air capture</a>) from other parts of the energy system.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>In the IEA’s net-zero scenario, nearly two-thirds of the emissions reductions come from technologies that are not yet commercially available. As the IEA states, “Reducing CO<sub>2</sub> emissions in the transport sector over the next half-century will be a formidable task.”{ref}IEA (2020), <a href="https://www.iea.org/reports/energy-technology-perspectives-2020">Energy Technology Perspectives 2020</a>, IEA, Paris.{/ref}</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --></div> <!-- /wp:column --> <!-- wp:column --> <div class="wp-block-column"><!-- wp:heading {"level":6} --> <h6>Global CO2 emissions from transport in the IEA's Sustainable Development Scenario to 2070{ref}IEA (2020), <a href="https://www.iea.org/reports/energy-technology-perspectives-2020">Energy Technology Perspectives 2020</a>, IEA, Paris.{/ref}</h6> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:image {"id":36827,"sizeSlug":"large"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://owid.cloud/app/uploads/2020/10/IEA-Transport-to-2070-800x505.png" alt="" class="wp-image-36827"/></figure> <!-- /wp:image --></div> <!-- /wp:column --></div> <!-- /wp:columns --> | { "id": "wp-36824", "slug": "co2-emissions-from-transport", "content": { "toc": [], "body": [ { "type": "text", "value": [ { "text": "Transport accounts for around one-fifth of global carbon dioxide (CO", "spanType": "span-simple-text" }, { "children": [ { "text": "2", "spanType": "span-simple-text" } ], "spanType": "span-subscript" }, { "text": ") emissions ", "spanType": "span-simple-text" }, { "children": [ { "text": "[24% if we only consider CO", "spanType": "span-simple-text" }, { "children": [ { "text": "2", "spanType": "span-simple-text" } ], "spanType": "span-subscript" }, { "text": " emissions from energy]", "spanType": "span-simple-text" } ], "spanType": "span-italic" }, { "text": ".{ref}The ", "spanType": "span-simple-text" }, { "children": [ { "text": "World Resource Institute", "spanType": "span-simple-text" } ], "spanType": "span-italic" }, { "text": "\u2019s Climate Data Explorer ", "spanType": "span-simple-text" }, { "url": "https://www.climatewatchdata.org/data-explorer/historical-emissions?historical-emissions-data-sources=cait&historical-emissions-gases=co2&historical-emissions-regions=All%20Selected&historical-emissions-sectors=total-including-lucf%2Ctransportation&page=1&sort_col=country&sort_dir=ASC", "children": [ { "text": "provides data", "spanType": "span-simple-text" } ], "spanType": "span-link" }, { "text": " from CAIT on the breakdown of emissions by sector. 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The other 29.4% comes from trucks carrying freight.", "spanType": "span-simple-text" } ], "parseErrors": [] }, { "type": "text", "value": [ { "text": "Since the entire transport sector accounts for 21% of total emissions, and road transport accounts for three-quarters of transport emissions, road transport accounts for 15% of total CO", "spanType": "span-simple-text" }, { "children": [ { "text": "2", "spanType": "span-simple-text" } ], "spanType": "span-subscript" }, { "text": " emissions.", "spanType": "span-simple-text" } ], "parseErrors": [] }, { "type": "text", "value": [ { "text": "Aviation \u2013 while it often gets the most attention in discussions on action against climate change \u2013 accounts for only 11.6% of transport emissions. 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(2018). ", "spanType": "span-simple-text" }, { "url": "https://science.sciencemag.org/content/360/6396/eaas9793.full", "children": [ { "text": "Net-zero emissions energy systems", "spanType": "span-simple-text" } ], "spanType": "span-link" }, { "text": ". ", "spanType": "span-simple-text" }, { "children": [ { "text": "Science", "spanType": "span-simple-text" } ], "spanType": "span-italic" }, { "text": ", 360(6396).{/ref} They highlighted long-distance road freight (large trucks), aviation and shipping as particularly difficult to eliminate. 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Three-quarters of this comes from road transport.", "dateline": "October 6, 2020", "subtitle": "Transport accounts for around one-fifth of global CO\u2082 emissions. Three-quarters of this comes from road transport.", "sidebar-toc": false, "featured-image": "Transport-CO2-emissions-by-mode-bar-chart.png" }, "createdAt": "2020-10-05T18:12:22.000Z", "published": false, "updatedAt": "2023-08-25T16:43:45.000Z", "revisionId": null, "publishedAt": "2020-10-06T10:00:00.000Z", "relatedCharts": [], "publicationContext": "listed" } |
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2020-10-06 10:00:00 | 2024-02-16 14:22:50 | 1mNwbW3PrU97dfl6Y-783n0JPnaDchjD2KrEyk-RRR6k | [ "Hannah Ritchie" ] |
Transport accounts for around one-fifth of global CO₂ emissions. Three-quarters of this comes from road transport. | 2020-10-05 18:12:22 | 2023-08-25 16:43:45 | https://ourworldindata.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Transport-CO2-emissions-by-mode-bar-chart.png | {} |
Transport accounts for around one-fifth of global carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions _[24% if we only consider CO2 emissions from energy]_.{ref}The _World Resource Institute_’s Climate Data Explorer [provides data](https://www.climatewatchdata.org/data-explorer/historical-emissions?historical-emissions-data-sources=cait&historical-emissions-gases=co2&historical-emissions-regions=All%20Selected&historical-emissions-sectors=total-including-lucf%2Ctransportation&page=1&sort_col=country&sort_dir=ASC) from CAIT on the breakdown of emissions by sector. In 2016, global CO2 emissions (including land use) were 36.7 billion tonnes CO2; emissions from transport were 7.9 billion tonnes CO2. Transport therefore accounted for 7.9 / 36.7 = 21% of global emissions. The IEA [looks at CO2 emissions](https://www.iea.org/data-and-statistics/?country=WORLD&fuel=CO2%20emissions&indicator=TotCO2) from energy production alone – in 2018 it reported 33.5 billion tonnes of energy-related CO2 [hence, transport accounted for 8 billion / 33.5 billion = 24% of energy-related emissions.{/ref} How do these emissions break down? Is it cars, trucks, planes or trains that dominate? In the chart here we see global transport emissions in 2018. This data is [sourced from](https://www.iea.org/data-and-statistics/charts/transport-sector-co2-emissions-by-mode-in-the-sustainable-development-scenario-2000-2030) the _International Energy Agency (IEA)_. Road travel accounts for three-quarters of transport emissions. Most of this comes from passenger vehicles – cars and buses – which contribute 45.1%. The other 29.4% comes from trucks carrying freight. Since the entire transport sector accounts for 21% of total emissions, and road transport accounts for three-quarters of transport emissions, road transport accounts for 15% of total CO2 emissions. Aviation – while it often gets the most attention in discussions on action against climate change – accounts for only 11.6% of transport emissions. It emits just under one billion tonnes of CO2 each year – around 2.5% of total global emissions _[we look at the role that air travel plays in climate change in more detail in an upcoming article]_. International shipping contributes a similar amount, at 10.6%. Rail travel and freight emits very little – only 1% of transport emissions. Other transport – which is mainly the movement of materials such as water, oil, and gas via pipelines – is responsible for 2.2%. <Image filename="Transport-CO2-emissions-by-mode-bar-chart.png" alt=""/> ## Towards zero-carbon transport: how can we expect the sector’s CO2 emissions to change in the future? Transport demand is expected to grow across the world in the coming decades as the global population increases, incomes rise, and more people can afford cars, trains and flights. In its _Energy Technology Perspectives_ report, the International Energy Agency (IEA) expects global transport (measured in passenger-kilometers) to double, car ownership rates to increase by 60%, and demand for passenger and freight aviation to triple by 2070.{ref}IEA (2020), [Energy Technology Perspectives 2020](https://www.iea.org/reports/energy-technology-perspectives-2020), IEA, Paris.{/ref} Combined, these factors would result in a large increase in transport emissions. But major technological innovations can help offset this rise in demand. As the world shifts towards lower-carbon electricity sources, the rise of electric vehicles offers a viable option to reduce emissions from passenger vehicles. This is reflected in the IEA’s _Energy Technology Perspective_ report. There it outlines its “Sustainable Development Scenario” for reaching net-zero CO2 emissions from global energy by 2070. The pathways for the different elements of the transport sector in this optimistic scenario are shown in the visualization. We see that with electrification- and hydrogen- technologies some of these sub-sectors could decarbonize within decades. The IEA scenario assumes the phase-out of emissions from motorcycles by 2040; rail by 2050; small trucks by 2060; and although emissions from cars and buses are not completely eliminated until 2070, it expects many regions, including the European Union; United States; China and Japan to have phased-out conventional vehicles as early as 2040. Other transport sectors will be much more difficult to decarbonize. In a paper published in _Science_, Steven Davis and colleagues looked at our options across sectors to reach a net-zero emissions energy system.{ref}Davis, S. J., Lewis, N. S., Shaner, M., Aggarwal, S., Arent, D., Azevedo, I. L., ... & Clack, C. T. (2018). [Net-zero emissions energy systems](https://science.sciencemag.org/content/360/6396/eaas9793.full). _Science_, 360(6396).{/ref} They highlighted long-distance road freight (large trucks), aviation and shipping as particularly difficult to eliminate. The potential for hydrogen as a fuel, or battery electricity to run planes, ships and large trucks is limited by the range and power required; the size and weight of batteries or hydrogen fuel tanks would be _much_ larger and heavier than current combustion engines.{ref}Cecere, D., Giacomazzi, E., & Ingenito, A. (2014). [A review on hydrogen industrial aerospace applications](https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0360319914011847). _International Journal of Hydrogen Energy_, _39_(20), 10731-10747.{/ref},{ref}Fulton, L. M., Lynd, L. R., Körner, A., Greene, N., & Tonachel, L. R. (2015). [The need for biofuels as part of a low carbon energy future](https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/bbb.1559). _Biofuels, Bioproducts and Biorefining_, 9(5), 476-483.{/ref} So, despite falling by three-quarters in the visualized scenario, emissions from these sub-sectors would still make transport the largest contributor to energy-related emissions in 2070. To reach net-zero for the energy sector as a whole, these emissions would have to be offset by ‘negative emissions’ (e.g. the capture and storage of carbon from bioenergy or [direct air capture](https://www.iea.org/reports/direct-air-capture)) from other parts of the energy system. In the IEA’s net-zero scenario, nearly two-thirds of the emissions reductions come from technologies that are not yet commercially available. As the IEA states, “Reducing CO2 emissions in the transport sector over the next half-century will be a formidable task.”{ref}IEA (2020), [Energy Technology Perspectives 2020](https://www.iea.org/reports/energy-technology-perspectives-2020), IEA, Paris.{/ref} ###### Global CO2 emissions from transport in the IEA's Sustainable Development Scenario to 2070{ref}IEA (2020), [Energy Technology Perspectives 2020](https://www.iea.org/reports/energy-technology-perspectives-2020), IEA, Paris.{/ref} <Image filename="IEA-Transport-to-2070.png" alt=""/> | { "id": 36824, "date": "2020-10-06T11:00:00", "guid": { "rendered": "https://owid.cloud/?p=36824" }, "link": "https://owid.cloud/co2-emissions-from-transport", "meta": { "owid_publication_context_meta_field": { "latest": true, "homepage": true, "immediate_newsletter": true } }, "slug": "co2-emissions-from-transport", "tags": [], "type": "post", "title": { "rendered": "Cars, planes, trains: where do CO2 emissions from transport come from?" }, "_links": { "self": [ { "href": "https://owid.cloud/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/36824" } ], "about": [ { "href": "https://owid.cloud/wp-json/wp/v2/types/post" } ], "author": [ { "href": "https://owid.cloud/wp-json/wp/v2/users/17", "embeddable": true } ], "curies": [ { "href": "https://api.w.org/{rel}", "name": "wp", "templated": true } ], "replies": [ { "href": "https://owid.cloud/wp-json/wp/v2/comments?post=36824", "embeddable": true } ], "wp:term": [ { "href": "https://owid.cloud/wp-json/wp/v2/categories?post=36824", "taxonomy": "category", "embeddable": true }, { "href": "https://owid.cloud/wp-json/wp/v2/tags?post=36824", "taxonomy": "post_tag", "embeddable": true } ], "collection": [ { "href": "https://owid.cloud/wp-json/wp/v2/posts" } ], "wp:attachment": [ { "href": "https://owid.cloud/wp-json/wp/v2/media?parent=36824" } ], "version-history": [ { "href": "https://owid.cloud/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/36824/revisions", "count": 10 } ], "wp:featuredmedia": [ { "href": "https://owid.cloud/wp-json/wp/v2/media/36825", "embeddable": true } ], "predecessor-version": [ { "id": 58056, "href": "https://owid.cloud/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/36824/revisions/58056" } ] }, "author": 17, "format": "standard", "status": "publish", "sticky": false, "content": { "rendered": "\n<p>Transport accounts for around one-fifth of global carbon dioxide (CO<sub>2</sub>) emissions <em>[24% if we only consider CO<sub>2</sub> emissions from energy]</em>.{ref}The <em>World Resource Institute</em>\u2019s Climate Data Explorer <a href=\"https://www.climatewatchdata.org/data-explorer/historical-emissions?historical-emissions-data-sources=cait&historical-emissions-gases=co2&historical-emissions-regions=All%20Selected&historical-emissions-sectors=total-including-lucf%2Ctransportation&page=1&sort_col=country&sort_dir=ASC\">provides data</a> from CAIT on the breakdown of emissions by sector. In 2016, global CO<sub>2</sub> emissions (including land use) were 36.7 billion tonnes CO<sub>2</sub>; emissions from transport were 7.9 billion tonnes CO<sub>2</sub>. Transport therefore accounted for 7.9 / 36.7 = 21% of global emissions. </p>\n\n\n\n<p>The IEA <a href=\"https://www.iea.org/data-and-statistics/?country=WORLD&fuel=CO2%20emissions&indicator=TotCO2\">looks at CO<sub>2</sub> emissions</a> from energy production alone \u2013 in 2018 it reported 33.5 billion tonnes of energy-related CO<sub>2</sub> [hence, transport accounted for 8 billion / 33.5 billion = 24% of energy-related emissions.{/ref}</p>\n\n\n\n<p>How do these emissions break down? Is it cars, trucks, planes or trains that dominate?</p>\n\n\n\n<p>In the chart here we see global transport emissions in 2018. This data is <a href=\"https://www.iea.org/data-and-statistics/charts/transport-sector-co2-emissions-by-mode-in-the-sustainable-development-scenario-2000-2030\">sourced from</a> the <em>International Energy Agency (IEA)</em>. </p>\n\n\n\n<p>Road travel accounts for three-quarters of transport emissions. Most of this comes from passenger vehicles \u2013 cars and buses \u2013 which contribute 45.1%. The other 29.4% comes from trucks carrying freight.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Since the entire transport sector accounts for 21% of total emissions, and road transport accounts for three-quarters of transport emissions, road transport accounts for 15% of total CO<sub>2</sub> emissions.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Aviation \u2013 while it often gets the most attention in discussions on action against climate change \u2013 accounts for only 11.6% of transport emissions. It emits just under one billion tonnes of CO<sub>2</sub> each year \u2013 around 2.5% of total global emissions <em>[we look at the role that air travel plays in climate change in more detail in an upcoming article]</em>. International shipping contributes a similar amount, at 10.6%. </p>\n\n\n\n<p>Rail travel and freight emits very little \u2013 only 1% of transport emissions. Other transport \u2013 which is mainly the movement of materials such as water, oil, and gas via pipelines \u2013 is responsible for 2.2%.</p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"800\" height=\"315\" src=\"https://owid.cloud/app/uploads/2020/10/Transport-CO2-emissions-by-mode-bar-chart-800x315.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-36825\" srcset=\"https://owid.cloud/app/uploads/2020/10/Transport-CO2-emissions-by-mode-bar-chart-800x315.png 800w, https://owid.cloud/app/uploads/2020/10/Transport-CO2-emissions-by-mode-bar-chart-400x158.png 400w, https://owid.cloud/app/uploads/2020/10/Transport-CO2-emissions-by-mode-bar-chart-150x59.png 150w, https://owid.cloud/app/uploads/2020/10/Transport-CO2-emissions-by-mode-bar-chart-768x303.png 768w, https://owid.cloud/app/uploads/2020/10/Transport-CO2-emissions-by-mode-bar-chart-1536x606.png 1536w, https://owid.cloud/app/uploads/2020/10/Transport-CO2-emissions-by-mode-bar-chart.png 1674w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" /></figure>\n\n\n\n<h4>Towards zero-carbon transport: how can we expect the sector\u2019s CO<sub>2</sub> emissions to change in the future?</h4>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column\">\n<p>Transport demand is expected to grow across the world in the coming decades as the global population increases, incomes rise, and more people can afford cars, trains and flights. In its <em>Energy Technology Perspectives</em> report, the International Energy Agency (IEA) expects global transport (measured in passenger-kilometers) to double, car ownership rates to increase by 60%, and demand for passenger and freight aviation to triple by 2070.{ref}IEA (2020), <a href=\"https://www.iea.org/reports/energy-technology-perspectives-2020\">Energy Technology Perspectives 2020</a>, IEA, Paris.{/ref} Combined, these factors would result in a large increase in transport emissions.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>But major technological innovations can help offset this rise in demand. As the world shifts towards lower-carbon electricity sources, the rise of electric vehicles offers a viable option to reduce emissions from passenger vehicles.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>This is reflected in the IEA\u2019s <em>Energy Technology Perspective</em> report. There it outlines its \u201cSustainable Development Scenario\u201d for reaching net-zero CO2 emissions from global energy by 2070. The pathways for the different elements of the transport sector in this optimistic scenario are shown in the visualization.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>We see that with electrification- and hydrogen- technologies some of these sub-sectors could decarbonize within decades. The IEA scenario assumes the phase-out of emissions from motorcycles by 2040; rail by 2050; small trucks by 2060; and although emissions from cars and buses are not completely eliminated until 2070, it expects many regions, including the European Union; United States; China and Japan to have phased-out conventional vehicles as early as 2040.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Other transport sectors will be much more difficult to decarbonize.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>In a paper published in <em>Science</em>, Steven Davis and colleagues looked at our options across sectors to reach a net-zero emissions energy system.{ref}Davis, S. J., Lewis, N. S., Shaner, M., Aggarwal, S., Arent, D., Azevedo, I. L., … & Clack, C. T. (2018). <a href=\"https://science.sciencemag.org/content/360/6396/eaas9793.full\">Net-zero emissions energy systems</a>. <em>Science</em>, 360(6396).{/ref} They highlighted long-distance road freight (large trucks), aviation and shipping as particularly difficult to eliminate. The potential for hydrogen as a fuel, or battery electricity to run planes, ships and large trucks is limited by the range and power required; the size and weight of batteries or hydrogen fuel tanks would be <em>much</em> larger and heavier than current combustion engines.{ref}Cecere, D., Giacomazzi, E., & Ingenito, A. (2014). <a href=\"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0360319914011847\">A review on hydrogen industrial aerospace applications</a>. <em>International Journal of Hydrogen Energy</em>, <em>39</em>(20), 10731-10747.{/ref}<sup>,</sup>{ref}Fulton, L. M., Lynd, L. R., K\u00f6rner, A., Greene, N., & Tonachel, L. R. (2015). <a href=\"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/bbb.1559\">The need for biofuels as part of a low carbon energy future</a>. <em>Biofuels, Bioproducts and Biorefining</em>, 9(5), 476-483.{/ref}</p>\n\n\n\n<p>So, despite falling by three-quarters in the visualized scenario, emissions from these sub-sectors would still make transport the largest contributor to energy-related emissions in 2070. To reach net-zero for the energy sector as a whole, these emissions would have to be offset by \u2018negative emissions\u2019 (e.g. the capture and storage of carbon from bioenergy or <a href=\"https://www.iea.org/reports/direct-air-capture\">direct air capture</a>) from other parts of the energy system.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>In the IEA\u2019s net-zero scenario, nearly two-thirds of the emissions reductions come from technologies that are not yet commercially available. As the IEA states, \u201cReducing CO<sub>2</sub> emissions in the transport sector over the next half-century will be a formidable task.\u201d{ref}IEA (2020), <a href=\"https://www.iea.org/reports/energy-technology-perspectives-2020\">Energy Technology Perspectives 2020</a>, IEA, Paris.{/ref}</p>\n</div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column\">\n<h6>Global CO2 emissions from transport in the IEA’s Sustainable Development Scenario to 2070{ref}IEA (2020), <a href=\"https://www.iea.org/reports/energy-technology-perspectives-2020\">Energy Technology Perspectives 2020</a>, IEA, Paris.{/ref}</h6>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"800\" height=\"505\" src=\"https://owid.cloud/app/uploads/2020/10/IEA-Transport-to-2070-800x505.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-36827\" srcset=\"https://owid.cloud/app/uploads/2020/10/IEA-Transport-to-2070-800x505.png 800w, https://owid.cloud/app/uploads/2020/10/IEA-Transport-to-2070-400x253.png 400w, https://owid.cloud/app/uploads/2020/10/IEA-Transport-to-2070-150x95.png 150w, https://owid.cloud/app/uploads/2020/10/IEA-Transport-to-2070-768x485.png 768w, https://owid.cloud/app/uploads/2020/10/IEA-Transport-to-2070-1536x970.png 1536w, https://owid.cloud/app/uploads/2020/10/IEA-Transport-to-2070.png 1732w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" /></figure>\n</div>\n</div>\n", "protected": false }, "excerpt": { "rendered": "Transport accounts for around one-fifth of global CO\u2082 emissions. Three-quarters of this comes from road transport.", "protected": false }, "date_gmt": "2020-10-06T10:00:00", "modified": "2023-08-25T17:43:45", "template": "", "categories": [ 1 ], "ping_status": "closed", "authors_name": [ "Hannah Ritchie" ], "modified_gmt": "2023-08-25T16:43:45", "comment_status": "closed", "featured_media": 36825, "featured_media_paths": { "thumbnail": "/app/uploads/2020/10/Transport-CO2-emissions-by-mode-bar-chart-150x59.png", "medium_large": "/app/uploads/2020/10/Transport-CO2-emissions-by-mode-bar-chart-768x303.png" } } |