Turning the Right Corner: Ensuring Development through a Low-Carbon Transport Sector by Andreas Kopp; Rachel I. Block; Atsushi Iimi

Author:Andreas Kopp; Rachel I. Block; Atsushi Iimi
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: The World Bank

CHAPTER 3

Integrating Sector-Wide Reforms for Mitigation

Transport accounts for 13 percent of total green house gas (GHG) emissions (IPCC 2007)1 and is one of the fastest-growing sources. Without significant policy action, the increased mobility, motorization, and urbanization that accompany economic development will massively increase carbon emissions.

Some current policies could reduce energy intensity and curb transportation demand without compromising economic growth. But behavior and lifestyles are hard to change. Transport infrastructure is very long-lived. Success will require rapid intervention on many fronts.

Advances in engine fuel efficiency will, of course, pave the way, but new technology is not enough. Economic measures, such as pricing, regulation, and the availability of multimodal transportation systems, are also essential. Soft measures in infrastructure operations could also help—and rapidly. If they are to be effective, all these measures must be integrated into a coordinated sector-wide approach.

Urgent action is needed before economies become locked into high-carbon growth. In the United States, urban settlement patterns and interurban infrastructure established decades ago have led to today’s high transport intensity (figure 3.1), making it difficult to expand mass transit and change behavior despite fossil-fuel price increases (see, for instance, Lecocq and Shalizi 2009).

Figure 3.1 Paths of Automobile Use

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