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Oct 15, 2024

Transport and mobility | European Environment Agency's home page

Modified 11 Oct 2024 Transport is a vital sector but our current mobility system is simply not sustainable. Decisive policies, smart investments and changes in demand can trigger a vital shift towards

Modified 11 Oct 2024

Transport is a vital sector but our current mobility system is simply not sustainable. Decisive policies, smart investments and changes in demand can trigger a vital shift towards cleaner transport modes and reduce the sector’s impact on the environment, climate and our health.

Transport connects people, cultures, cities, countries and continents. It is one of the main pillars of modern societies and economies, allowing producers to sell their products across the world and travellers to discover new places. Transport networks also ensure access to key public services, such as education and health, contributing to a better quality of life. Connecting to transport helps boost the economy in remote areas, creating jobs and spreading wealth.

There is, however, a downside to our current transport model. The transport sector causes substantial negative impacts on the environment and human health. Transport is responsible for about a quarter of the EU’s total greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and causes air pollution, noise pollution and habitat fragmentation.

More concretely, it is the only major economic sector in Europe where GHGs have increased since 1990 and is also the largest contributor to nitrogen oxides emissions, which harm health and the environment. Similarly, road transport is one of the main sources of environmental noise pollution in Europe.

As demand has increased, so has the overall energy efficiency of new passenger cars, vans and trucks, planes and ships, but not at the same pace as total transport emissions. The sheer volume of transport activity has impacted our GHG emissions and demands on all types of transport are expected to increase.

Europe aims to become climate-neutral by 2050. This cannot be achieved without a sustainable mobility system, based on cleaner and more active transport modes, cleaner fuels and, where possible, reducing the need for mobility.

In 2022, greenhouse gas emissions from transport in the EU were about 26% higher than in 1990. Relative to other economic sectors, transport accounted for about 29% of the EU’s greenhouse gas emissions in 2022. Its share is expected to increase further as the decarbonisation of the European economy progresses faster in other sectors, most notably in energy production.

With current and planned policy measures in the EU Member States, greenhouse gas emissions from transport are projected to decrease by about 14% in 2030 and by 37% in 2050, compared with 2022 levels. Stronger efforts are therefore needed to achieve the EU goal of reducing transport emissions by 90% by 2050.

Our indicators show some of the latest trends:

The European Green Deal aims to achieve a 90% reduction in transport-related greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. Reaching this milestone will involve significant changes in how we power and operate our cars, planes, and ships.

Under the umbrella of the European Green Deal, the EU has adopted and put in place a series of policy packages to achieve a more sustainable mobility system. Some of these initiatives aim at accelerating the transition to cleaner fuels, such as those used in passenger cars and vans, and heavy duty vehicles, or those used in shipping and aviation. The EU has also set concrete targets to ensure that a growing share of the energy used in the transport sector comes from renewable sources.

Other initiatives are aimed at reducing the impacts of transport on human health and the environment. These include action on noise pollution or tackling habitat fragmentation through wildlife crossings.

Overall, the EU must move toward a sustainable mobility system that rethinks how people and goods are transported. This requires a system prioritising public transport, such as rail, and active mobility, such as walking and cycling, into urban design. It also calls for rethinking the need for mobility and, where possible, reducing it, for example through work-from-home schemes.

+24.9%

in passenger travel

between 1995 and 2022

+142.5%

in air travel

between 1995 and 2022

+24.8%

in passenger car transport

between 1995 and 2022

+44.6%

in freight transport

between 1995 and 2022

Source: EEA report Sustainability of Europe’s mobility systems

The EU is making progress towards climate neutrality but reductions in greenhouse gas emissions from transport are relatively stagnant. According to our latest report on transport and environment, the transport sector’s transition towards sustainability is made difficult by the increasing transport demand and sluggish growth in sustainable transport modes for moving both people and freight.

The EEA report ‘Sustainability of Europe’s mobility systems’ sums up transport sector’s key trends as of 2024, and their environmental and climate impacts. The report shows that transport remains a major source of greenhouse gas emissions, air pollution and noise. While projections for 2030 and beyond show some positive signs, substantial investments in implementation of innovative solutions and a shift to more sustainable transport modes are still needed.

Aviation has produced economic benefits, stimulated innovation and improved connectivity within Europe. But unfortunately, this growth has also increased negative impacts on climate change, noise and air quality. The COVID-19 pandemic caused a brief respite from these impacts as aviation travel drastically decreased. These numbers are growing again, though.

Despite improvements in technology, operations, airports and market-based measures, the aviation sector’s impacts on the environment, climate and people’s health continue to increase.

These are some of the findings of the joint EEA-EASA (European Aviation Safety Agency) report on the enviromental impacts of the aviation sector.

An earlier edition of our transport and environment report (TERM) 2020 looks into the impacts of rail and air travel, both of which are a big part of Europe’s passenger transport sector. It concludes that rail travel is the best and most sensible mode of travel, apart from walking or cycling.

Aviation’s emission impacts are much higher on a passenger-kilometre basis. But flying is not necessarily the most harmful choice. Travel by a petrol or diesel-powered car, especially if traveling alone, can be more harmful.

A shift from air to rail travel can play a crucial role in helping the EU meet its objective of reducing greenhouse gas emissions from transport by 90% by 2050 compared with 1990.

What if the ground is moving? Are our road and rail transport networks stable enough?

Copernicus is the European Union's earth observation programme. It combines detailed geospatial data obtained through satellites and from ground observations.

Information on surface displacement due to geohazards or human activity is provided by the European Ground Motion Service (EGMS), provided by the EEA, within the Copernicus Land Monitoring Service.

This can be used to monitor subsidence affecting airport runways, railways, or breakwaters in ports. It enables the shift from air to rail travel by helping to identify the best routes and tracks.