The transport is heavily dependent on oil imports. While most economic sectors have been reducing CO2 emissions, transport’s share has been steadily increasing. By 2050, we need to have greatly reduced those CO2 emissions and made inroads into tackling congestion and environmental pollution. To achieve Europe’s targeted 80% CO2 reduction by 2050, oil consumption in the transport sector must drop very soon by around 70%, implying a revolution in transport fuels and the way we travel.
For the moment, there are only three ways to reduce greenhouse emissions in the transport sector: the shift from polluting modes to more energy efficient ones (i.e. railway transport, short sea shipping, intermodal transport); the promotion of less consuming road vehicles, and biofuels. The Commission is actively promoting the first two, but biofuels alternatives ought to be supported as well because this is the most immediately feasible way of significantly slowing the worrying growth of greenhouse gas emissions. This is of critical importance in a context where transport emissions are wiping out the hard-earned reductions of greenhouse gases achieved in other sectors. Biofuels contribute to the sustainability of the transport sector but we also should contribute to it by reducing our dependency on imported oil, by providing a development opportunity for poor countries and by paving the way for second generation biofuels (by developing refining capacity, distribution networks, biofuel cars).
The transport sector especially road vehicles account for 28% of the CO2 emissions. The Commission is working on new legislation to lower limits for carbon dioxide emissions from cars and promote better fuel efficiency and the use of alternative fuels.
The Commission also supports research and effective deployment of new green transport technologies. Its Strategic Transport Technology Plan (STTP) will involve a major regrouping and refocusing of transport research and development efforts.
As part of the plan, the Commission will publish a clean transport system strategy in 2012 (the initial publication deadline was middle of 2012, editor’s note), with speci-fic measures to promote clean vehicles and develop EU-wide standards relating, for instance, to interoperability of charging/refuelling infrastructure.
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