Air Transport and Energy Efficiency

World Bank
Transport Paper Series - 38
Februrary 2012

The air transport sector is enjoying an optimistic growth rate while at the same time eliciting growing concern, due to its environmental impact and its vulnerability with respect to energy security. This report aims to guide the air transport industry, policy makers, and development institutions on where to focus their investments or support in developing and emerging markets in order to address the energy and climate change challenges ahead.

Bajar documento

Latin America and the Caribbean: Environment outlook

UNEP
2010

Over the past 12 years, within the GEO framework, UNEP has produced a series of global integrated environmental assessment reports aimed at providing comprehensive, scientifically credible, and policy-relevant assessments on the interaction between environment and society. In line with its core mandate of keeping the global environment under review, UNEP has developed a series of extensive consultative and participatory processes that have led to the production of four volumes of the comprehensive Global Environment Outlook (GEO). In Latin America and the Caribbean, this regional focus was designed both to adapt the generalizations of the global assessment to the considerably different environmental, political, economic and cultural realities of the LAC region, and to support regional, national, local and thematically focused groups to use the same methods to assess their immediate concerns. As with its global cousin, GEO-LAC aims to provide scientifically credible, policy-relevant, up-to-date assessment of, and outlook for, the state of the environment in Latin America and the Caribbean, using the GEO conceptual framework and process refined by UNEP over the past 12 years. As result, GEO analysts provide an impartial, scientifically sound analysis of the state of the environment, major impacts, drivers and options for action for decision makers and other regional actors concerned with the state of the environment. In addition, it analyses a number of possible scenarios. The groups that the GEO LAC report aims at reaching are policy makers, especially the LAC Forum of Environment Ministers and their advisors; scientists; activist civil society organizations, especially, indigenous people, youth, environmental NGOs, and business. The GEO process has many elements. It supports multi-stakeholder networking, provides a platform for the exchange of knowledge, promotes intra and inter-regional cooperation in identifying and addressing key environmental issues and concerns and builds capacity at many levels. Meeting users needs cuts across all elements of GEO outputs.

Bajar documento

Informe de la Reunión de Expertos sobre la situación actual y perspectivas de la integración centroamericana

CEPAL
Unidad de Comercio Internacional e Industria
Noviembre 2011

A lo largo de su historia, la Sede Subregional de la CEPAL en México ha trabajado en el tema de la integración centroamericana, haciendo estudios sobre este proceso; ha ofrecido asistencia técnica y ha facilitado la comunicación y coordinación entre los distintos actores involucrados en el tema de la integración centroamericana.

La Reunión de Expertos sobre la situación actual y perspectivas de la integración centroamericana tiene el propósito de dar seguimiento a los avances en este proceso; a la luz, sobre todo, de los compromisos asumidos por los presidentes centroamericanos en su reunión extraordinaria en San Salvador en julio de 2010.

La declaración conjunta y el plan de trabajo aprobados por los presidentes de cada uno de los países de Centroamérica representan un avance importante en el ámbito de la integración centroamericana. La declaración le dio un sentido estratégico a la integración al centrarla en cuatro temas fundamentales: la seguridad, el cambio climático y la prevención de desastres, la integración económica y la integración social. También atendió a la necesidad de fortalecer la institucionalidad que debe dar seguimiento y asegurar una visión regional a este proceso de mayor interdependencia en distintos ámbitos.

Bajar documento

Libro verde del transporte y cambio climático

Comisión de Transportes del Colegio de Ingenieros de Caminos, Canales y Puertos
Junio 2010

Bajar documento

Assesing CO2 emissions: A new tool to mitigate climate change in inland transport

United Nations Development Account
2011

UNDA Project on CO2 emissions and ForFITS

The UNECE Transport Division initiated a new project to study the impact of inland transport on climate change and called the UN Development Account (UNDA) for funds to build up this project together with all UN Regional Commissions, as climate change is a global problem and needs a global solution. The funds for this 3 years project have been released and the work activities are in progress. The implementation of this project started in January 2011 and will be concluded in December 2013.

The main objective of the project is to enhance international cooperation and planning towards sustainable transport policies through the development and use of a standard monitoring and assessment tool for CO2 emissions in inland transport including a transport policy converter. This first activity within this project is to develop an information and analysis tool based on a uniform methodology for the evaluation of the emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the inland transport sector (road, rail and waterways except national and international aviation and maritime transport), taking into account climate-relevant indicators, new transportation trends and the implementation of regional, national or local policy measures. CO2 emissions caused by international aviation and maritime transport are excluded from this project.

Ir al sitio del proyecto

GIZ SUTP Newsletter Issue 03/11 - May June 2011

Sustainable Urban Transport Project - GIZ
May/June 2011

In this Edition:

• KOTI and GIZ sign a MoU at the KOTI World Forum
• GIZ-SUTP and IUT organized a 5-Day training course on Public Transport in Goa from 11-15th July
• GIZ at the Fifth Asia Pacific Urban Forum, Bangkok, Thailand
• GIZ participated in the "Working Together for Sustainable and Healthy Urban Transport” workshop in Kyiv
• BTG Symposium in Bonn: "Moving Transport from CDM to NAMAs"
• VELOFORUM Ukraine with GIZ participation
• GIZ at C40 Summit in Sao Paulo (Brazil)
• GIZ at the International Transport Forum (ITF), Leipzig
• GIZ-SUTP at the 2nd NTDPC Consultation meeting in Bangalore
• GIZ Transport Team at the International Conference on Climate Friendly Transport
• No agreement on Transport at CSD 19!
• GIZ at the CAI LAC Sustainable Transport Conference in Rosario (9-13 May)
• Learning Centre at CSD 19

ir a la Newsletter

Technologies for climate change mitigation: Transport sector

TNA Guidebook Series
UNEP
March 2011

Photo from the publication

This guidebook is designed to assist you as you contribute to the development of transport in your country or locality. It provides transport options that not only minimise greenhouse gas emissions, but also offer a host of other economic, social and environmental benefits, of which the following are some.

In terms of economic benefits, these options can:
• save money spent on transport by both individuals and society
• save time
• reduce dependence on imported fossil fuels
• reduce health costs and absenteeism resulting from traffic accidents and illness caused by vehicle pollution and lack of exercise
• provide better transport for all levels and sectors of society, so that all people can access jobs, markets, services and education, and thereby participate economically
• contribute to urban consolidation and reduce costs for the provision of urban infrastructure
• provide the transport necessary for effective and efficient twenty-first century economies.

In terms of social benefits, these measures can:
• reduce traffic congestion and noise and make localities more attractive and pleasant places in which to live and work
• promote better physical and mental health by encouraging and enabling people to exercise more,
by reducing road accidents and respiratory diseases caused by pollution, and by creating a less
stressful environment
• contribute to greater equality by ensuring that all levels of society have access to the necessary transport to meet their needs
• enhance community connectedness by promoting transport modes that have been shown to
increase local interaction.

In terms of environmental benefits, as well as reducing greenhouse gas emissions, these transport
options can:
• reduce local level pollution
• lessen urban sprawl
• reduce overall fuel use and in particular the use of unsustainable fuels
• decrease the use of other finite resources.

Bajar documento

Integrating U.S. Climate, Energy, and Transportation Policies: Proceedings of Three Workshops

Rand
March 2009

In June 2008, RAND convened three workshops for private and public sector representatives to discuss their competing views on climate change mitigation. The conference allowed them to find commonality on such issues as technological innovation; potential legislative and regulatory solutions; international cooperation; and public engagement.

Acceder al documento

Keeping climate change solutions on track: the role of rail

UIC
December 2010

Transport brings enormous benefits to society through access and mobility, but it also has many external costs, including its contribution to climate change. Transport has a key role to play within solutions to climate change as current transport structures are responsible for extreme pressures on energy resources and ecosystems through a dependence on fossil fuels.

Rail presents a low carbon mode of transport, and continued energy efficiency improvements and increases in modal shift to rail from road and air are crucial to support the transition to low carbon mobility.

The technological and operational developments in rail, financial investments from international funds and governments, and the commitment of rail operators demonstrate not only the current status of rail, but more importantly the potential for rail to contribute to global emissions reductions in 2010 and beyond. Indeed the rail sector is ready to be part of the solution to climate change; the UIC Declaration on Sustainable Mobility and Transport (attached at the end of this document) outlines this commitment.

Bajar documento

Climate for Change: Global warming & the automobile

A policy paper from the Alliance Internationale de Tourisme and the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile

If CO2 emissions from passenger cars are to be reduced, there must be an effective strategy to promote fuel efficiency and to reduce car dependency. This will require policies that encourage the development of new vehicle and fuel technologies, persuade the consumer to purchase fuel economic vehicles and offer a greater choice of alternative transport options. It is vital to recognise that global warming is a shared problem, and must be dealt with in partnership. All sectors of transport have a role to play, including the regulatory and planning authorities whose decisions can have as great an impact on the environment as any actions by vehicle producers or users.

Representing some 100 million motorists worldwide, the AIT & FIA recognise the responsibility of all users of passenger cars to contribute to achieving the emissions reductions decided at the Kyoto Conference. Below, we set out a framework for achieving such reductions.

Bajar documento

Ver también:

Make Cars Green: Formula for the Environment

Mobility for all -Access/Sustainability/Safety- Roadmap to a better mobility

Growing wealthier: Smart Growth, Climate Change and Prosperity

Center for Clean Air Policy
2011

CCAP’s new report, Growing Wealthier: Smart Growth, Climate Change and Prosperity, authors Chuck Kooshian and Steve Winkelman discuss how application of smart growth principles can improve the bottom line for businesses, households and governments by increasing property values, cutting fuel and infrastructure costs, creating jobs, enhancing public health and strengthening communities.

Bajar documento

Bajar resumen

Climate Change and Urban Transportation in Latin America: An Analysis of Recent Projects

Carolyn McAndrews, Elizabeth Deakin and Lee Schipper

Transportation Research Board Annual Meeting 2010 (89th)
Paper #10-2225

Abstract:

Urban transportation investments present an opportunity to mitigate climate change while supporting effective, clean, safe, and equitable transportation. In this paper, the authors discuss how a set of urban transportation investments in Latin America responds to the issue of climate change. The authors analyzed a sample of recent transportation projects funded by an international bank to learn what kinds of infrastructure, plans, and policies are being pursued, and to assess whether projects developed specifically to address climate change differ from other projects. Loans and grants supported a mix of infrastructure for transit, bicycles, and pedestrians, as well as institutional strengthening. While only a few projects explicitly addressed climate change mitigation, their impacts on mode choice and urban development almost surely have positive effects compared to what would happen without them. In some cases, however, funding for road construction at the urban fringe may induce outward urban expansion and greater auto use. Specifically analyzing the carbon consequences of all projects, as well as their combined effects in the overall system, would provide better ability to track and take credit for carbon mitigation and also could flag potential problem areas.

Order the document

Draft version

TRB URL:

Social Change and Urban Transport

Sustainable urban transport technical document # 2
Marie Thynell
GTZ
SUTP
October 2009

Despite the growing awareness of the need of sustainability in transport planning, efforts to work on this topic have focused on the environmental and economic aspects, but there have been few projects and initiatives investigating and working upon social aspects of transport, the third of the main pillars of sustainability.

GTZ SUTP has published its Technical Document # 2 titled "Social Change and urban transport" which describes how transport in its social dimension has many intricacies that should be taken into account when analysing existing policies and developing new ones. It provides a description of the main issues to be tackled, the main stakeholders in the local and International/ Multilateral level and it provides some indication as to how to implement social change in transport and gives a brief overview of social impact assessment as an aid in such a process.

The document can be downloaded from here
5.50 MB by registered users. Unregistered users can register here.

Or from Ecoregion: PDF

Nordic: Research for Climate and Environment

Nordic: Road and Transport Research
No 2 2009

Contents:

• In Brief | p4
• LIPASTO – Traffic Emission Database | p6
• Transnova: Established and Operating | p8
• Emission Taxes and Tradable Emission Permits in Climate Policy | p9
• Reduced Car Use after Relocation | p10
• Iceland’s Wild Climate Gets Wilder | p12
• When the Weather Gets in the Way | p14
• Indicators for Sustainable Urban Transport | p16
• Concrete Roads Save Fuel | p17
• Urban Containment Policy in Oslo Reduces Car Traffic | p18
• Avalanche Risk in a Changing Climate | p20
• Effect of a Changed Climate on Gravel Roads | p21
• Campaign for Less Car-use | p22
• Road-building Increases Climate Gas Emissions | p24
• Web Maps for Extreme Weather and Hazard Mitigation | p26
• Ungtrafikk – The Norwegian ISA Field Trial | p28
• Multifunctional Ditches | p29
• Publications | p30

Access the pdf

Climate change: turning costs into income opportunities

UNCTAD Policy Briefs #9
December 2009

Concerns about the high costs of climate change mitigation dominate the global debate to be resumed at Copenhagen. The question of who is to pay for the investments that will undoubtedly be needed receives far greater attention than the corollary question of who is to gain from them. From a macroeconomic perspective, one economic agent’s cost is always another agent’s income. But as this policy brief argues, the concept of cost is misleading in the context of climate change mitigation. Once the process of structural change necessitated by climate change mitigation is in full swing, there will be huge new market opportunities.

The policy issue is: how will costs and incomes be distributed in this process? UNCTAD believes that developing countries, although they face considerable costs, can also generate new income if they adapt their development strategies to the requirements of climate change mitigation. This policy brief also stresses the role of government in facilitating the process of structural change, not only by fostering “green” consumer preferences, but also by implementing pro-active industrial policies that support the production of climate-friendly equipment and appliances. In short: The world can move to a low-carbon economy without feeling paralysed by the costs – and can do so without sacrificing growth in the developing world.

Access the document

Greenhouse gas reduction strategies in the Transport Sector

Preliminary Report
International Transport Forum
2008

Content:
1. Linking transport GHG emissions to climate change: The impact pathway
2. Linking transport activity to CO2 emissions: Factors, trends and projections
3. Initial review of tranport-sector greenhouse gas mitigation strategies

Access the document

Air Transport, Global Warming and the Environment

Air Transport, Global Warming and the Environment - Selected papers from the Air Transport Research Society meeting, Berkeley
Transportation Research Part D: Transport and Environment
Volume 15, Issue 1, Pages 1-60 (January 2010)
Edited by Anming Zhang, Sveinn Vidar Gudmundsson and Tae Hoon Oum

Climate change and the contribution of transport: Basic facts and the role of aviation
Pages 5-13
Werner Rothengatter

The inclusion of aviation into the EU emission trading scheme – Impacts on competition between European and non-European network airlines
Pages 14-25
Janina Scheelhaase, Wolfgang Grimme, Martin Schaefer

The impact of European climate change regulations on international tourist markets
Pages 26-36
Karen Mayor, Richard S.J. Tol

The environmental effects of airline carbon emissions taxation in the US
Pages 37-45
Christian Hofer, Martin E. Dresner, Robert J. Windle

Voluntary CO2 emissions reduction scheme: Analysis of airline voluntary plan in Japan
Pages 46-50
Katsuhiro Yamaguchi

How much noise reduction at airports?
Pages 51-59
Mark Lijesen, Willemijn van der Straaten, Jasper Dekkers, Roel van Elk, John Blokdijk

Access the journal

LIPASTO – Traffic Emission Database

NORDIC

LIPASTO is a free website showing total traffic emissions and their trends in Finland for all transport modes. In addition, unit emissions for hundreds of vehicle types expressed in grams per passenger- or tonne-kilometres are shown. The website is the only one of its kind.

Access the article

Access the database

Low-carbon development for Mexico

Todd M. Johnson, Claudio Alatorre, Zayra Romo and Feng Liu
World Bank
November 2009

This study presents new research on low-carbon interventions in the transport sector, including measures to improve the efficiency of both new and used vehicles as well as measures to improve urban transportation. Because a large percentage of transportation energy use occurs in Mexico's cities, there is significant potential for lowering greenhouse gas emissions by modifying the spatial organization of cities and improving the availability of public transportation infrastructure. Although major changes in urban design will take time to develop, other measures such as investing in bus rapid transit (BRT)-type systems, strengthening public transportation, and reorganizing freight transport systems can be implemented in the near term. This study analyzes a range of energy efficiency options available in Mexico, including supply-side efficiency improvements in the electric power and oil and gas industries, and demand-side electricity efficiency measures addressing high-growth energy-consuming activities, such as air conditioning and refrigeration. It also evaluates a range of renewable energy options that make use of the country's vast wind, solar, biomass, hydro, and geothermal resources. This study focuses on Mexico, many of the low-carbon options presented such as specific energy-efficiency and renewable energy technologies and urban transport or forestry programs are likely to be applicable to other countries.

Press Release

Acceder al documento 179 p.

Impacts of policy instruments to reduce congestion and emissions from urban transportation: the case of Sao Paulo, Brazil

Anas, Alex; Timilsina, Govinda R.
Policy Research Working Paper Nº 5099
World Bank
October 2009

This study examines impacts on net social benefits or economic welfare of alternative policy instruments for reducing traffic congestion and atmospheric emissions in São Paulo, Brazil. The study shows that expanding road networks, subsidizing public transit, and improving automobile fuel economy may not be as effective as suggested by economic theories because these policies could cause significant rebound effects. Although pricing instruments such as congestion tolls and fuel taxes would certainly reduce congestion and emissions, the optimal level of these instruments would steeply increase the monetary cost of travel per trip and are therefore politically difficult to implement. However, a noticeable finding is that even smaller tolls, which are more likely to be politically acceptable, have substantial benefits in terms of reducing congestion and emissions. Among the various policy instruments examined in the study, the most socially preferable policy option for São Paulo would be to introduce a mix of congestion toll and fuel taxes on automobiles and use the revenues to improve public transit systems.

website

Access the paper