Chapter 3Transport
Tim Chatterton1, Mark Fisher2, Miles Keeping3 and David Shiers4
1University of the West of England, Bristol, BS16 1QY, UK
2Arup Associates, London, W1T 4BQ, UK
3Hillbreak Ltd., Buckinghamshire, HP18 9TH, UK
4School of the Built Environment,, Oxford Brookes University, Oxford, OX3 0BP, UK
The environmental impact of transport is highly significant. In the United Kingdom for example, 23% of greenhouse gas emissions (117.9 MtCO2e in 2014) was attributed to transport, the second largest sector after energy supply from the burning of fossil fuels; gas, coal and oil (31%). Over 98% of this is emitted directly as CO2, rather than other greenhouse gas species (DECC, 2016). Across Europe, overall greenhouse gas emissions decreased 15% between 1990 and 2007, whilst emissions from transport increased by 36% (DG-CLIMA, 2016). Declines since 2008 are largely attributable to the global recession. Despite some optimism that this might have started a permanent downward trend (e.g. discussions about having reached ‘peak car’ (POST, 2013)), there are signs that emissions from this sector are on the increase again (DECC, 2016; Figure 3.1).
Figure 3.1 Greenhouse gas emissions in United Kingdom.
Source: Government of Japan; http://www.mlit.go.jp/kokusai/MEET/data_en.html.
Emissions from transport are primarily caused by the combustion of fossil fuels to provide energy for generating ...
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