The Transportation Industry's Impact on Climate Change — Explained
How does transportation contribute to climate change? In the United States, the transportation sector accounts for 29 percent of greenhouse gas emissions, the largest share of any economic sector. Although much of our world is dependent on the speed and convenience of modern transportation, there are many ways that the transportation industry can decrease its carbon footprint.
Today we’ll go over how each sector of the transportation industry has impacted climate change and what the industry can do to mitigate these effects.
How Has the Transportation Industry Contributed to Climate Change?
When fossil fuels are burned, they emit large amounts of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Today, petroleum-based fossil fuels like gasoline, diesel, and jet fuel make up about 90 percent of the fuel used for transportation. Although varying methods of transportation have different impacts on the environment, they all rely on fossil fuels for their low cost and availability.
Consumer Vehicles
Light-duty vehicles, like passenger cars and pickup trucks, are responsible for nearly 60 percent of greenhouse gas emissions in the United States transportation sector. Burning just one gallon of gasoline produces 20 pounds of carbon dioxide. Consider a car’s gas tank can hold 12 to 16 gallons of gasoline, a single car emits hundreds of pounds of carbon dioxide after going through a tank of gas.
To combat the impact of consumer vehicles on climate change, the United States government set fuel standards to reach a fuel economy of 54.5 miles per gallon by 2025. Today, there are already many cars and trucks that meet or even exceed these standards available on the market, including zero-emission vehicles and electric cars.
Air Travel
Cars aren’t the only source of air pollution. Air travel is the third-largest contributor to greenhouse gas emissions in the transportation sector, and emissions have increased alarmingly fast. In fact, global aircraft carbon dioxide emissions grew about 32 percent in just five years.
That is largely because we have become dependent on widespread, accessible air travel. Around 80 percent of carbon dioxide emissions in aviation come from long-haul flights for which there is no practical alternative mode of transportation. For example, many high-value commodities are shipped by air because they are perishable or time-sensitive, like fresh produce and medications.
Boats and Trains
Although ships are more energy-efficient than other methods of transportation, they are responsible for over 3 percent of global carbon dioxide emissions, an amount similar to major carbon-producing countries. In addition to carbon dioxide, ships also produce other pollutants, like nitrogen oxides, nitrous oxide and black carbon, or soot. However, the carbon emissions of the shipping industry are still currently unregulated.
Since the introduction of the steam locomotive transformed rail transport in the 19th century, trains have played an important role in transporting both goods and people. Around 0.3 percent of global carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuels come from rail transport, but emissions vary based on how trains are fueled. For example, if a train is powered by electricity, there might not be zero emissions if that electricity is generated from fossil fuels.
Commercial Fleets
On average, the transportation system moves about 49 tons of freight every day, with the vast majority moved via truck. Today, commercial fleets are seeing an increase in demand for larger vehicles, which makes it even more difficult to reduce carbon emissions. Compared to consumer vehicles, there are fewer alternatives for commercial fleets. For example, only Tesla offers electric vehicles in large quantities to supply a fleet.
How Can the Transportation Industry Reduce These Impacts?
Although transportation is responsible for a significant portion of greenhouse gas emissions, we can still mitigate the industry’s effects on climate change. Here are three best practices that can help the transportation sector reduce its carbon footprint:
Phasing Out Fossil Fuels and Converting to Alternative Fuel Sources
The biggest step toward decarbonization is the simplest: Stop using fossil fuels. Today, we have a wide range of alternative fuel options available, such as hydrogen, compressed natural gas (CNG), and liquefied natural gas (LNG). Most internal combustion engines can be converted to use hydrogen, which is a clean-burning fuel that only emits heat and water vapor.
Electric vehicles have become a popular alternative to traditional internal combustion vehicles. As of 2021, there are over 2 million electric cars on the road in the United States. The electrification of commercial vehicles can further reduce carbon emissions. Advancements in battery capacities have increased the range of electric commercial vehicles to 200 to 300 miles per charge, making it a much more viable alternative.
Increasing Climate-Friendly Public Transportation Methods
Public transportation produces significantly fewer greenhouse gas emissions than passenger cars. While a single-occupancy vehicle produces almost one pound of carbon dioxide per passenger mile, a bus produces just 0.64 pounds of carbon dioxide at average occupancy.
To further mitigate their contribution to climate change, many transit agencies have also started replacing older diesel buses with newer hybrid-electric buses, which produce 15 to 40 percent fewer carbon dioxide emissions. Buses powered by compressed natural gas (CNG) are similar to their diesel-fueled counterparts in terms of power, acceleration, and distance range but produce 20 to 30 percent fewer greenhouse gas emissions.
Today, most rail transit systems are powered by electricity, rather than fossil fuels. But how they get their electricity matters too. For instance, a transit agency that is supplied by a low-emissions source, such as hydroelectric, will have much lower emissions than an agency that relies on electricity from coal power plants.
Reducing Emissions From Trains, Ships, and Planes
As our economy becomes more dependent on the global supply chain, we can expect to see increased international trade via trains, ships, and planes, all of which are major contributors to carbon emissions. However, the heavy-duty transport sector can reach net-zero carbon emissions as soon as 2050.
For example, improving fuel efficiency can reduce air pollution while saving shipping companies more than $30 billion in fuel costs per year. And although there is no battery that can power a long-distance flight, a combination of biofuels and synthetic fuels can produce fewer carbon emissions than jet fuel. For shorter distances, electric-powered or hydrogen airplanes are an available alternative.
FASTECH: Your Partner in Alternative Energy
As climate change continues to pose an urgent problem for our planet, the transportation industry has a responsibility to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions and use renewable energy. If you’re ready to make the switch to alternative fuels, then FASTECH can help.
At FASTECH, we have over two decades of experience in the energy industry and specialize in end-to-end alternative energy solutions, from planning and construction to ongoing maintenance and testing for compliance. To date, we’ve built more hydrogen stations in California than anyone else.
To learn more about FASTECH’s business-friendly approach to renewable energy, contact us today.
