The effect of sustainable mobility transition policies on cumulative urban transport emissions and energy demand
Abstract The growing urban transport sector presents towns and cities with an escalating challenge in the reduction of their greenhouse gas emissions. Here we assess the effectiveness of several widely considered policy options (electrification, light-weighting, retrofitting, scrapping, regulated ma...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Nature Portfolio
2023-04-01
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| Series: | Nature Communications |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-023-37728-x |
| _version_ | 1797836370219106304 |
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| author | Lisa Winkler Drew Pearce Jenny Nelson Oytun Babacan |
| author_facet | Lisa Winkler Drew Pearce Jenny Nelson Oytun Babacan |
| author_sort | Lisa Winkler |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract The growing urban transport sector presents towns and cities with an escalating challenge in the reduction of their greenhouse gas emissions. Here we assess the effectiveness of several widely considered policy options (electrification, light-weighting, retrofitting, scrapping, regulated manufacturing standards and modal shift) in achieving the transition to sustainable urban mobility in terms of their emissions and energy impact until 2050. Our analysis investigates the severity of actions needed to comply with Paris compliant regional sub-sectoral carbon budgets. We introduce the Urban Transport Policy Model (UTPM) for passenger car fleets and use London as an urban case study to show that current policies are insufficient to meet climate targets. We conclude that, as well as implementation of emission-reducing changes in vehicle design, a rapid and large-scale reduction in car use is necessary to meet stringent carbon budgets and avoid high energy demand. Yet, without increased consensus in sub-national and sectoral carbon budgets, the scale of reduction necessary stays uncertain. Nevertheless, it is certain we need to act urgently and intensively across all policy mechanisms available as well as developing new policy options. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-09T15:08:48Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-ab1bea4eafe04939a05d3ba7e639871d |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2041-1723 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-09T15:08:48Z |
| publishDate | 2023-04-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Nature Communications |
| spelling | doaj.art-ab1bea4eafe04939a05d3ba7e639871d2023-04-30T11:21:18ZengNature PortfolioNature Communications2041-17232023-04-0114111410.1038/s41467-023-37728-xThe effect of sustainable mobility transition policies on cumulative urban transport emissions and energy demandLisa Winkler0Drew Pearce1Jenny Nelson2Oytun Babacan3Department of Physics, Imperial College LondonDepartment of Physics, Imperial College LondonDepartment of Physics, Imperial College LondonGrantham Institute – Climate Change and the Environment, Imperial College LondonAbstract The growing urban transport sector presents towns and cities with an escalating challenge in the reduction of their greenhouse gas emissions. Here we assess the effectiveness of several widely considered policy options (electrification, light-weighting, retrofitting, scrapping, regulated manufacturing standards and modal shift) in achieving the transition to sustainable urban mobility in terms of their emissions and energy impact until 2050. Our analysis investigates the severity of actions needed to comply with Paris compliant regional sub-sectoral carbon budgets. We introduce the Urban Transport Policy Model (UTPM) for passenger car fleets and use London as an urban case study to show that current policies are insufficient to meet climate targets. We conclude that, as well as implementation of emission-reducing changes in vehicle design, a rapid and large-scale reduction in car use is necessary to meet stringent carbon budgets and avoid high energy demand. Yet, without increased consensus in sub-national and sectoral carbon budgets, the scale of reduction necessary stays uncertain. Nevertheless, it is certain we need to act urgently and intensively across all policy mechanisms available as well as developing new policy options.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-023-37728-x |
| spellingShingle | Lisa Winkler Drew Pearce Jenny Nelson Oytun Babacan The effect of sustainable mobility transition policies on cumulative urban transport emissions and energy demand Nature Communications |
| title | The effect of sustainable mobility transition policies on cumulative urban transport emissions and energy demand |
| title_full | The effect of sustainable mobility transition policies on cumulative urban transport emissions and energy demand |
| title_fullStr | The effect of sustainable mobility transition policies on cumulative urban transport emissions and energy demand |
| title_full_unstemmed | The effect of sustainable mobility transition policies on cumulative urban transport emissions and energy demand |
| title_short | The effect of sustainable mobility transition policies on cumulative urban transport emissions and energy demand |
| title_sort | effect of sustainable mobility transition policies on cumulative urban transport emissions and energy demand |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-023-37728-x |
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