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TECHNOLOGY
FOR TOMORROW,
PUBLIC TRANSPORT
FOR TODAY
source: www.uitp.com
Facts and Trends to 2050 Energy and Climate Change. WBCD 2004, www.wbcsd.org/plugins/DocSearch/
details.asp?type=DocDet&DocId=NzE1OQ
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Shifting to public transport is, in the short term, the most effective way to reduce greenhouse emissions…- light duty vehicles, today represent around 50% of the transport sector’s CO2 emissions. In 2000, there were 750 million such vehicles in use with this number growing by 2% per year. To achieve significant CO2 reductions from transport, these vehicles would have to be replaced with new advanced technology vehicles.
In fact, hydrogen and other new technologies will only make a difference by 2040…- new engine technology and improvements that have been made have not had any significant impact on reducing greenhouse gases (GHG) anywhere in the world as they are offset by the sheer growth in traffic, particularly in urban areas;
- with the life cycle of vehicles as high as 20 years and predictions of 1.6 billion cars by 2030, the present focus on fuel and propulsion-based technologies are not going to bring the required change within an appropriate time frame. If large-scale introduction of zero carbon vehicles started in 2010 with 200 000 units and it grew by 20% per annum thereafter, it would only be in 2030 that a real difference would be seen.
That’s why modal shift to more sustainable transport, such as using public transport, will bring the highest benefits in the short and medium term!
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