“Ambitious & aggressive” policies needed to cut transport emissions

The “only way” to achieve significant reductions in greenhouse gas emissions from the EU transport sector will be through the introduction of “ambitious and aggressive policy measures”, concludes a report produced for energy and climate change consultancy AEA for the European Commission.

Focusing on long-term policy options, the report is firm in its argument that no magic “bullet” exists to curb transport emissions and that a multiplicity of policies will be necessary. The report suggests that EU policymakers consider a package of policies that would include road pricing, fuel tax increases, increased market share for electric vehicles, increased use of biofuel as well as energy efficiency improvements and further regulation restricting vehicle emissions.

While binding limits for private cars have now been agreed with automotive companies, previous voluntary agreements with the automotive industry designed to limit emissions failed, with car manufacturers exceeding voluntarily-agreed limits on average emissions for cars sold within the EU.

Commenting on the final report emerging from the project, EU Transport GHG: Routes to 2050?, AEA's Sujith Kollamthodi said: “Transport has one of the fastest growing greenhouse gas emissions trajectories by sector and there is now an urgent need for a long-term sustainable policy framework to curtail and reverse this trend. AEA has examined all the options, but it is clear that there is no silver bullet - only an ambitious combination of the available policy measures will enable us to achieve the significant emissions reductions needed in the transport sector.”

• AEA news release
• Routes to 2050 project