Global transport sector emissions top seven billion tonnes annually – some 23% of total energy-related GHG emissions. Furthermore, G20 countries are responsible for 69% of global emissions in the transport sector, as G20 residents produce 1.1 tonnes of carbon emissions each year on a per capita basis, 20% more than their non-G20 counterparts. As these figures make clear, in the absence of ambitious climate protection policies in G20 countries that target the transport sector, the goal of limiting warming to 2 degrees Celsius will slip out of reach.
Decisive policy action is needed to stop and reverse growth in transport sector emissions. This includes measures to strengthen public transport; the introduction of road-use charges; the shifting of road freight to rail and shipping; the promotion of electric vehicles and associated charging infrastructure; and the creation of incentives for shared mobility.
