Encourage a shift in transportation modes to reduce transportation emissions

This article was originally published in our "Décryptage Mobilité" newsletter. To receive future articles by email as soon as they are published, Subscribe now. By Eloïse Dulac – Consultant

In 2017, the transportation sector emitted 8 GtCO2e out of the 32.8 GtCO2e emitted by human activities [1]. If emissions continue to follow the trend of the past 30 years, emissions from the sectorcould reach 12 GtCO2e by 2050. Reducing transportation emissions is therefore a major challenge in limiting global warming to below 2°C. One of the factors behind the rise in emissions is the increase in freight transport resulting from globalization and the offshoring of production. To reduce emissions, in addition to the obvious factor of reducing the volume of goods transported, Another approach is to reduce the share of air and road transportation in favor of rail and maritime transportation [2]. Replacing air travel with a combination of sea and rail transport generally makes it possible to significantly reduce the carbon footprint of the trip. The success of the modal shift, however, depends on several stakeholders who must be mobilized: shippers, carriers, public authorities, and customers. In the shipping sector, CMA-CGM is sending a very positive signal by launching a rail service between the port of Genoa and the logistics hub in Piacenzia [3]. Furthermore, synchronizing train and ship arrivals makes it possible to offer an efficient service by optimizing transit time. Today, delivery time is an important factor for customers when making purchasing decisions. Addressing climate impact requires reevaluating current priorities to make reducing the environmental footprint of transportation a top priority. Customers can therefore encourage a shift in transportation modes by choosing transportation options with better environmental performance, in exchange for longer delivery times. Finally, public sector entities also have a role to play in encouraging a shift in transportation modes. They can promote the creation of multimodal hubs that make it possible to set up an efficient service but also to support the development (or modernization) of rail infrastructure which represent significant investments. They can also influence transportation demand by placing greater emphasis on the benefits of consuming more locally, or even by using tax policies to discourage long-distance travel. For shorter distances, the modal shift should make it possible to redirect a portion of road traffic to waterway and rail transport. France has an extensive network of waterways, and the volume of goods transported by river, for example, increased by 10% between 2018 and 2019 [4], which is a promising sign for reducing transportation emissions.