4.2 – Transportation and the Environment
Transportation systems, from infrastructures to vehicle operations, have environmental impacts ranging from noise, the emission of pollutants to climate ...
CO2 emissions by freight and passenger modes
The structure of the transport network, the modes used, and traffic levels are the main factors of the environmental impact of transportation. Networks influence the spatial distribution of emissions (e.g. centralized versus diffuse networks), while modes relate to the nature of the emissions and the traffic to the intensity of these emissions. There are notable differences in the <anchor>CO2 emissions by freight and passenger modes</anchor>, but they remain difficult to compare. In addition to these environmental impacts, economic and industrial processes sustaining the transport system must be considered. These include the extraction and production of fuels, vehicles, and construction materials, some of which are very energy-intensive (e.g. aluminum), the disposal of vehicles, parts, and the provision of infrastructure. They all have a life cycle timing their production, utilization, and disposal. Thus, evaluating the link between transport and the environment without considering cycles in the environment and the product life alike is likely to convey a limited overview of the situation and may lead to incorrect appraisal, policies, and mitigation strategies.
Average CO2 Emissions by Passenger and Freight Transport Mode | The Geography of Transport Systems
Average CO2 Emissions by Passenger and Freight Transport Mode \| The Geography of Transport Systems

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# Average CO2 Emissions by Passenger and Freight Transport Mode

[![](https://i0.wp.com/transportgeography.org/wp-content/uploads/co2_passenger_freight.png?resize=900%2C422&ssl=1)](https://transportgeography.org/?page_id=24017 "Average CO2 Emissions by Passenger and Freight Transport Mode") Average CO2 Emissions by Passenger and Freight Transport Mode

_Source: IEA (2019)._

Transportation modes have a variety of environmental performance that can be measured in terms of CO2 emissions by unit traveled. For passengers, it involves grams of CO2 per passenger-kilometer, and for freight, it involves grams of CO2 per ton-km. **Massification** (economies of scale) is a key element in the environmental performance of transport modes and a key argument behind **modal shift initiatives**, such as towards public transit for passengers and towards rail and maritime shipping for freight.

It is important to underline that the performance of passenger and freight vehicles is **not readily comparable**, since they are using different units of reference; a passenger versus a ton. The economic value of the activities is also difficult to compare since a passenger driving a car may not be using it for the same purpose as someone taking a flight. A similar observation applies to freight. What is being carried by air cargo (high CO2 emissions per ton-km) is of much higher added-value than the average freight carried by maritime shipping (low CO2 emissions per ton-km).

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[Contents](https://transportgeography.org/contents/ "Contents")›[Chapter 4 – Transport, Energy and Environment](https://transportgeography.org/contents/chapter4/ "Chapter 4 – Transport, Energy and Environment")›[4.2 – Transportation and the Environment](https://transportgeography.org/contents/chapter4/transportation-and-environment/ "4.2 – Transportation and the Environment")›
Average CO2 Emissions by Passenger and Freight Transport Mode

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[The Geography of Transport Systems](https://www.routledge.com/The-Geography-of-Transport-Systems/Rodrigue/p/book/9781032380407)

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Jean-Paul Rodrigue (2024), New York: Routledge, 402 pages. ISBN 9781032380407

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### Table of Contents

- [1\. Transportation & Geography](https://transportgeography.org/contents/chapter1/)
- [2\. Transportation & Spatial Structure](https://transportgeography.org/contents/chapter2/)
- [3\. Transportation, Economy & Society](https://transportgeography.org/contents/chapter3/)
- [4\. Transport, Energy & Environment](https://transportgeography.org/contents/chapter4/)
- [5\. Transportation Modes](https://transportgeography.org/contents/chapter5/)
- [6\. Transportation Terminals](https://transportgeography.org/contents/chapter6/)
- [7\. Trade, Logistics & Freight Distribution](https://transportgeography.org/contents/chapter7/)
- [8\. Urban Transportation](https://transportgeography.org/contents/chapter8/)
- [9\. Transport Planning & Policy](https://transportgeography.org/contents/chapter9/)
- [10\. Challenges for Transport Geography](https://transportgeography.org/contents/conclusion/)
- [A. Methods in Transport Geography](https://transportgeography.org/contents/methods/)
- [B. Applications & Case Studies](https://transportgeography.org/contents/applications/)
- [C. City Logistics](https://transportgeography.org/contents/geography-city-logistics/)

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