The climate impact of travel behavior: A German case study with illustrative mitigation options

Publikation: Beitrag in FachzeitschriftForschungsartikelBeigetragenBegutachtung

Beitragende

  • Borgar Aamaas - , Centre for International Climate and Environmental Research (CICERO) (Autor:in)
  • Jens Borken-Kleefeld - , International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis, Laxenburg (Autor:in)
  • Glen P. Peters - , Centre for International Climate and Environmental Research (CICERO) (Autor:in)

Abstract

Global greenhouse gas mitigation should include the growing share of emissions from transportation. To help understand the mitigation potential of changing travel behavior requires disaggregating the climate impacts of transportation by transport mode, distance, and travel behavior. Here we use disaggregated data on travel behavior to calculate the climate impact of Germans traveling nationally and internationally in 2008 and develop some illustrative mitigation options. We include all relevant long-lived greenhouse gases and short-lived climate forcers and use global temperature change for 50 years of sustained emissions as the emission metric. The total climate impact is determined almost entirely by car (~46%) and air travel (~45%), with smaller contributions from public transportation. The climate impact from the highest income group is 250% larger than from the lowest income group. However, the middle classes account for more than two thirds of the total impact. The relatively few trips beyond 100. km contribute more than half of the total impact because of the trip distance and use of aircraft. Individual behavioral changes, like shifting transport modes or reducing distance and frequency, can lead to useful emission reductions. However, a comprehensive package of mitigation options is necessary for deep and sustained emission reductions.

Details

OriginalspracheEnglisch
Seiten (von - bis)273-282
Seitenumfang10
FachzeitschriftEnvironmental Science and Policy
Jahrgang33
PublikationsstatusVeröffentlicht - 2013
Peer-Review-StatusJa
Extern publiziertJa

Externe IDs

ORCID /0000-0002-5465-8559/work/150883960

Schlagworte

Ziele für nachhaltige Entwicklung

Schlagwörter

  • Climate impact, Emission metric, Travel behavior