Report: cut transportation GHG emissions in half

Land use is part of strategy

Steve Hawley, Jul 28, 09.

A new report published by the Urban Land Institute entitled “Moving Cooler” suggests how to cut transportation-related greenhouse gas emissions in half by 2050, according to the New York Times. The report was authored by Cambridge Systematics, a consulting firm, and sponsored by a diverse coalition including the US Department of Transportation, the American Public Transportation Association, the Environmental Defense Fund, and Shell Oil.

The article notes:

Examining about 50 transportation strategies, the report found transportation emissions could be reduced 24 percent by 2050 by acting to change travel behavior and land-use patterns. The emissions reduction hit 47 percent by adding road pricing techniques, ranging from pay-as-you-go insurance to charging Americans for every mile driven.

The report found environmental gains from advances in fuel efficiency would be mostly undermined by increased travel and population, making it important to address the efficiency of the transportation sector by investing in public transit, land-use planning and other low-carbon alternatives.

According to the article, transportation creates about 28 percent of the country’s greenhouse gas emissions, and half of the increase in greenhouse emissions since 1990 can be attributed to transportation.

“Moving Cooler” executive summary (pdf, 5.7 mb)