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Implementation of Portable Emissions Measurement Systems (PEMS) for the Real-driving Emissions (RDE) Regulation in Europe
Published on: December 4, 2016
Mode, load, and specific climate impact from passenger trips
Jens Borken-Kleefeld1, Jan Fuglestvedt, Terje Berntsen
1IIASA-International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis , Schlossplatz 1, 2361 Laxenburg, Austria.
Environmental Science & Technology
|June 15, 2013
Summary
The climate impact of long-distance travel varies significantly by transport mode. Comparing cars, coaches, trains, and planes, this study reveals how factors like fuel efficiency and occupancy influence overall environmental impact.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Science
- Climate Change Research
- Transportation Studies
Background:
- Long-distance travel's climate impact varies widely based on transportation mode.
- Previous assessments often focused solely on CO2 emissions, potentially misrepresenting the full climate effect.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare the specific climate impact of long-distance car travel against coach, train, and air travel.
- To evaluate the influence of short-lived climate forcers on the relative climate impact of different transport modes.
- To analyze climate impact using Global Warming Potential and Global Temperature Change Potential over 20- and 100-year time horizons.
Main Methods:
- Comparative analysis of climate impacts across different travel modes (car, coach, train, air).
- Inclusion of both CO2 emissions and short-lived climate forcers in impact calculations.
- Calculation of specific impacts using Global Warming Potential (GWP) and Global Temperature Change Potential (GTP) metrics.
- Consideration of varying time horizons (20 and 100 years) for climate impact assessment.
Main Results:
- The climate impact per passenger can differ by a factor of 10 across transport modes.
- Including short-lived climate forcers significantly alters the comparative climate impact ranking, especially for air travel.
- Car travel's climate impact is highly dependent on fuel efficiency and passenger occupancy, ranging from low (train-like) to high (air-like).
Conclusions:
- Mode choice, vehicle efficiency, and occupancy are critical determinants of travel's climate footprint.
- A comprehensive assessment including short-lived climate forcers is essential for accurate transportation climate impact evaluation.
- Findings support informed decisions for carbon offsetting, transportation planning, and climate change mitigation strategies.
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