The EU has set an ambitious goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions from transport by 90% by 2050, compared with 1990 levels. So far, however, it has proven difficult to achieve progress towards this goal. European Environment Agency (EEA) data show that transport is the only major economic sector in the EU where greenhouse gas emissions have increased over the past 30 years.
Currently, transport accounts for about one-quarter of the EU’s total greenhouse gas emissions. Out of these emissions, almost three-quarters come from road transport, and more than half of road transport emissions come from cars. Civil aviation accounts for about 13% of greenhouse gas emissions in the EU transport sector, but these emissions are growing rapidly and have already more than doubled since 1990.
According to the EEA’s analysis, Europe’s transport emissions are projected to decrease with existing policy measures but not enough to bring them into line with the EU’s overall climate neutrality target by 2050.
Read the full EEA article here.