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Journal article
The climate change mitigation effects of daily active travel in cities
Transportation research. Part D, Transport and environment, v 93, 102764
Apr 2021
Featured in Collection : UN Sustainable Development Goals @ Drexel
Abstract
• How much CO2 can be saved by walking, cycling and e-biking in towns and cities?
• Cyclists had 84% lower CO2 emissions from all daily travel than non-cyclists.
• Life cycle CO2 emissions decreased by 14% for each additional cycling trip.
• The top 10% of participants were responsible for 59% of life cycle CO2 emissions.
• Regular cycling was most strongly associated with reduced life cycle CO2 emissions for commuting and social trips.
Active travel (walking or cycling for transport) is considered the most sustainable form of personal transport. Yet its net effects on mobility-related CO2 emissions are complex and under-researched. Here we collected travel activity data in seven European cities and derived life cycle CO2 emissions across modes and purposes. Daily mobility-related life cycle CO2 emissions were 3.2 kgCO2 per person, with car travel contributing 70% and cycling 1%. Cyclists had 84% lower life cycle CO2 emissions than non-cyclists. Life cycle CO2 emissions decreased by −14% per additional cycling trip and decreased by −62% for each avoided car trip. An average person who ‘shifted travel modes’ from car to bike decreased life cycle CO2 emissions by 3.2 kgCO2/day. Promoting active travel should be a cornerstone of strategies to meet net zero carbon targets, particularly in urban areas, while also improving public health and quality of urban life.
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Details
- Title
- The climate change mitigation effects of daily active travel in cities
- Creators
- Christian Brand (Corresponding Author) - Transport Studies Unit, University of Oxford, Oxford, United KingdomEvi Dons - Hasselt UniversityEsther Anaya-Boig - Centre for Environmental Policy, Imperial College London, London, United KingdomIone Avila-Palencia - Drexel University, Urban Health CollaborativeAnna Clark - Trivector Traffic, Stockholm, SwedenAudrey de Nazelle - Imperial College LondonMireia Gascon - ISGlobal, Barcelona, SpainMailin Gaupp-Berghausen - Austrian Institute for Regional Studies (ÖIR), Vienna, AustriaRegine Gerike - Dresden University of Technology, Chair of Integrated Transport Planning and Traffic Engineering, Dresden, GermanyThomas Götschi - University of Oregon, School of Planning, Public Policy and Management, Eugene, ORFrancesco Iacorossi - Agenzia Roma Servizi per la Mobilita' Srl, Rome, ItalySonja Kahlmeier - Department of Health, Swiss Distance University of Applied Science (FFHS), Brig, SwitzerlandMichelle Laeremans - Flemish Institute for Technological Research (VITO), Mol, BelgiumMark J Nieuwenhuijsen - Universitat Pompeu FabraJuan Pablo Orjuela - Transport Studies Unit, University of Oxford, Oxford, United KingdomFrancesca Racioppi - World Health Organization Regional Office for Europe, European Centre for Environment and Health, Bonn, GermanyElisabeth Raser - Austrian Federal Railways (ÖBB), Vienna, AustriaDavid Rojas-Rueda - ISGlobal, Barcelona, SpainArnout Standaert - Flemish Institute for Technological Research (VITO), Mol, BelgiumSimona Sulikova - Transport Studies Unit, University of Oxford, Oxford, United KingdomErik Stigell - Trivector Traffic, Stockholm, SwedenSandra Wegener - University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Vienna, Institute for Transport Studies, Vienna, AustriaLuc Int Panis - Flemish Institute for Technological Research (VITO), Mol, Belgium
- Publication Details
- Transportation research. Part D, Transport and environment, v 93, 102764
- Publisher
- Elsevier
- Number of pages
- 18
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Language
- English
- Academic Unit
- Urban Health Collaborative
- Web of Science ID
- WOS:000638249600002
- Scopus ID
- 2-s2.0-85101620391
- Other Identifier
- 991019168358904721
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- Collaboration types
- Domestic collaboration
- International collaboration
- Web of Science research areas
- Environmental Studies
- Transportation
- Transportation Science & Technology