CO2 emissions from transport: how much impact does logistics have?
In what percentage is transportation responsible forCO2 emissions?
According to a study by the European Environment Agency, the transport sector in Europe is responsible for about 1/4 oftotal CO2 emissions , and of these, about 72 percent are produced by road transport.
In turn, road transport is divided into passenger transport, which impacts 62 percent, and freight transport, which impacts about 38 percent.
To meet global emission reduction scenarios and contain rising temperatures, the greenhouse gas emissions associated with transportation must be drastically reduced . Below we have analyzed the main opportunities, both current and future.
European targets to reduce transport-related emissions
To cope with rising temperatures, the European Union has set a target to reduce emissions from the transport sector by 90 percent by 2050. To meet this target, several sub-targets and strategies have been established.
- Reducing dependence on fossil fuels, through:
- presence of at least 80,000 local zero-emission trucks by 2030;
- Market presence of zero-emission aircraft by 2035.
- Creation of efficient alternatives to road transport by:
- Doubling of rail capacity by 2050;
- 25% increase in short sea shipping by 2030.
- Building a strong and resilient single market through:
- Increased investment in transportation infrastructure;
- presence of a multimodal, sustainable and intelligent trans-European transport network by 2050;
- Large-scale deployment of automated mobility by 2030.
What are the different modes of freight transportation?
Goods can be moved in 4 main modes:
- ROAD TRANSPORT;
- RAIL TRANSPORT;
- naval transport;
- AIR TRANSPORT.
If several modes of transport are combined, it is called intermodal transport, and the transfer of cargo from one mode to another takes place in specialized facilities, called intermodal nodes.
There are several intermodal nodes on the territory of Italy, such as:
- Malpensa intermodal node serving the Sacconago/Busto Arsizio area, with interchange between trucks and trains;
- the intermodal node of the port of Genoa, with interchange between ships trucks and trains.
In addition, new intermodal nodes are planned to be built and upgraded in the coming years, such as:
- upgrading of the Taranto port intermodal node (2024), with interventions that will simplify shunting operations and increase the capacity of the facility;
- rail link to the port of Vasto (2026), which will offer the possibility of direct ship-to-train passage;
- Construction of a new intermodal node in the Brindisi industrial area (2026).
How many emissions do different transport modes produce? Practical example and emissions table
Let us now see what emissions are associated with the use of the various modes of transportation.
Assume we are transporting a container from Milan to Porto (Portugal) and analyze the impacts of the various modes. In the cases of ship, rail, and air transport, we considered that the last stage of delivery to the final consumer is done by road.
Source for numerical data: processing by Up2You based on emission factors from ecoinvent.
As can be seen from the example, the modes of transportation that can reduceCO2 eq emissions are rail and shipping. However, if, as is many times the case, these modes are not feasible in their entirety, intermodal transport is definitely a viable alternative to reduce emissions.
By the way, are you interested in an in-depth look at car emissions? We have produced an infographic on that as well: click the the link below and find out which cars impact the least.
Low-carbon cars: what are they
How to reduce transportation-related emissions: download free infographic
We've seen how much of an impact the transportation sector has globally and how manyCO2 emissions each mode of transportation generates.
But what can you do to reduce these emissions?
The Up2You Insight team has put together acomprehensive infographic capturing data and graphs onCO2 emissions from the transportation sector, but that's not all: you'll find some practical actions you can put in place to reduce logistics emissions, and a real-world case study of a company that, together with us, measured and reduced the emissions produced by its fleet.
