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Preprint (Author's original)CC BY V4.0, Open
Preprint
The climate change mitigation effects of daily active travel in cities
Research Square
01 Apr 2021
Featured in Collection : UN Sustainable Development Goals @ Drexel
Abstract
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 - 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 - ISGlobal, Barcelona, SpainAnna 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 ResearchErik Stigell - Trivector Traffic, Stockholm, SwedenSimona Sulikova - Transport Studies Unit, University of Oxford, Oxford, United KingdomSandra 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
- Research Square
- Resource Type
- Preprint
- Language
- English
- Academic Unit
- Urban Health Collaborative
- Web of Science ID
- WOS:000638249600002
- Other Identifier
- 991021883813904721
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- Collaboration types
- Domestic collaboration
- International collaboration
- Web of Science research areas
- Environmental Studies
- Transportation
- Transportation Science & Technology