Sustainable Societies

Transportation

The increasing use of transportation methods and vehicle dependency are major concerns for social and environmental health. Vehicles are putting damaging CO2 and other emissions into the atmosphere. Industrialized countries account for 57% of global CO2 emissions, 32% from North America. Twenty-five percent of the total commercial energy consumed is for transport, approximately half of the total oil produced worldwide. Between now and 2020 energy demand for transport is forecast to grow by 1.5% per year in industrialized countries and by 3.6% per year in developing countries, raising significant questions of sustainability. Consumption patterns in this sector are widely acknowledged to be damaging to environmental and human health. Air transport is also expected to increase significantly; it is believed that aircraft greenhouse gas emissions contribute substantially to climate change mechanisms. Transportation poses additional threats to human and environmental health such as noise, land use problems, accidents and congestion.