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Updated: May 10, 2026

Implementation of Portable Emissions Measurement Systems (PEMS) for the Real-driving Emissions (RDE) Regulation in Europe

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.

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Published on: January 20, 2023

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.