Categories: General
      Date: Jan 12, 2010
     Title: OECD & ITF report on reducing transport emissions

A working group set up by the OECD and International Transport Forum has produced a report highlighting what it believes are the most efficient ways for the transport sector to address greenhouse gas emissions.

Among the findings, the working group highlighted a number of areas where significant GHG emission reductions can be made.

• Although the largest overall cuts in GHG emissions are to be expected in the energy, residential and commercial buildings sectors, many mitigation measures in the transport sector are relatively low cost. Some of these save money in the long run, through fuel savings.
• Differentiated vehicle registration or purchase taxes and feebate schemes can further guide consumer demand for fuel efficient vehicles.
• Low carbon fuels will make a contribution to GHG emissions mitigation, albeit modest. Volumetric biofuel production quotas are an inefficient way to promote low‐carbon‐fuel switching and may not even deliver CO2 savings unless they are linked to effective sustainability criteria and fuel carbon standards.
• Improvements in traditional and hybridised internal combustion engine technology will continue to deliver the greatest source of GHG reduction from vehicles in the short‐ to medium‐term.
• Electrification of mobility will play a growing role over the longer term though hurdles relating to battery costs, vehicle range and energy distribution will need to be overcome.
• Better traffic management has the potential to deliver significant CO2 reductions, reducing the incidence of stop‐go traffic and discouraging excessive speed.
• Mobility management initiatives, land‐use planning and promotion of high quality public
  transport can all help to reduce GHG emissions.

The full preliminary report can be read here: