Carbon dioxide is one of the greenhouse gases that gets the most attention, and it also contributes a lot to warming temperatures. In the developed country’s transportation is responsible for 30% of the CO2 emissions, and all over the world the transportation is responsible for 23% of CO2 emissions. By the year 2050, they try to reduce emissions by 50%. But if nothing is changed or the changes are too slow, then they expect that by the year 2050, the emissions from transportation will be doubled.
In 2019, 72% of the CO2 emissions came from road transportation. The other 28% are from shipping, aviation, and other sources. Transportation is one of the areas where public action is needed in order to reduce CO2 emissions effectively and where adjustments are needed to reduce vulnerability to climate change.

The solution that has gotten the most attention is the change of vehicles to start using more electrical ones. But to actually have a big change, the whole system needs to change. For example, jobs and services need to be closer to people. Public transportation needs to be promoted, including walking, cycling, and all other types of low-carbon solutions.

One of the solutions for better transportation would be more reliable access to safe and modern mobility. The future of transportation needs to be low-carbon, but it also needs to be safe and modern, and the health aspects should be a priority. The infrastructure should be built around or consider public transportation. Public transportation needs to be affordable and accessible for everyone. There has to be more pathways for pedestrians and for bikers. It would have a good impact on a more active lifestyle, but it would also reduce traffic jams and air pollution.
A safer system will also reduce deaths by transportation. For example, in 2019, 17 people out of 100 000 were killed on the roads, and almost half of them were cyclists or pedestrians. To reduce accidents, the streets need to be improved, for example, by building safer bike- lanes and more side-walks for pedestrians.

Switching from vehicles that need fossil-fuel to vehicles that use electricity will take some time, and if we do it too fast, it will raise another problem: the increased demand for electricity. One faster solution would be to limit the use of carbon-emitting vehicles like cars and airplanes. The distances that are travelled by car are growing globally, especially in Europe and North America. In 2020, the kilometres travelled by car increased by 40%, and they are expected to reach 50% in 2030.
To decrease this trend, the option would be to invest more in more quality rail ways and also in the local bus system. If we could decrease car usage by 34% to 44% by 2030, then we could still keep global warming below 1.5 degrees C. In order to reduce the need for personal vehicles, cities can make public places like shops, services, and leisure places more accessible with public transport. The other opportunity would be to increase parking costs, fuel taxes, and so on. But it wouldn’t be fair to people who don’t have access to public transport and can only use their personal vehicles.

To stay on track with keeping global warming at 1.5 degrees C, we need to start using electrical vehicles. To make the change faster, the governments are supporting electrical car sales. By the year 2040, some countries want to stop the sales of gas and diesel cars. But for now, the results are not so fast to come. In 2021, only 8.7% of the cars sold were electrical. So the progress needs to speed up five times to reach the goal. Electrical vehicles used to be expensive, but due to the decline in battery prices, the prices are soon similar to those of fossil fuel cars. For example, in Germany and Holland, it is cheaper to own an electrical car (at least for some brands) than a fossil fuel car. For electrical vehicles, there is a need for charges. In 2021, there were 1.8 million chargers all around the world. Also, the buses and trucks need to be changed for the electrical ones. In 2021, 44% of global bus sales were electric and hydrogen buses. To reach our climate goals, then by the year 2030, all the buses will need to use green energy. Unfortunately, so far the progress has been uneven. Most of the purchases have taken place in China. For trucks, the situation is even more difficult. In 2021, only 0.2% of trucks sold were electric or hydrogen-powered.

A lot of transportation is also done with ships and airplanes. Both of them are responsible for 3% of global greenhouse gas emissions. To make this sector zero-emission, there’s a need for better technological solutions, for example, zero-emission fuels and batteries that last longer. To stay on track with 1.5 degrees C, by 2030, 5% to 17% of ships will need to use zero-emission fuel. And by the year 2050, 87% to 100% of ships will need to use zero-emission fuel. Zero-emission fuels can be green hydrogen and ammonia, captured carbon, and renewable electricity. Progress is slowly being made. In 2022, there were more than 200 pilot projects to prove this sector.
In 2022, the only zero-emission fuel solutions for aviation were green hydrogen and captured carbon dioxide, or biomass. Right now, only 0.1% of aeroplanes fuels are green. By the year 2030, it needs to be at 13% to 18%.
Zero-emission fuels need to be derived from sustainable biomass sources.

There are also some easier solutions. For example, drive less, or instead of driving, walk or use bicycles. But of course, even then, when you use bicycles, carbon is emitted when the bicycle is produced. In some cities, there are also bike-share programs. Public transport is always an option in cities. Use carpooling or other car-sharing services. Planning also help. When you need to use the car, plan your trip.
When you use a car, do it wisely. There are some easy steps to reduce emissions. For example, when you are not driving, turn your car off. There’s a myth that turning off and restarting your car will make it consume more fuel. That’s not true. Modern fuel-injected engines don’t need that much fuel, so if you need to wait in one place for more than a minute, then you can turn your car off. Also, drive effectively. Don’t speed too fast, and also start to slow down early enough. Use the right amount of pressure on the wheels. And finally, maintain your car by doing regular tune-ups.
Soon, the gardening season will start. If you have small areas of lawn, then use manual mowers. Don’t move your lawn too often. Maintain your equipment properly, tune it every season, and change the oils when needed. When purchasing new equipment, pick the ones that use electric or battery power.

Sources:
https://unece.org/transport/climate-change-and-sustainable-transport
https://www.unep.org/interactive/six-sector-solution-climate-change/transport/index.php
https://www.wri.org/insights/shifts-transform-transportation-systems-climate-goals
https://www.epa.gov/transportation-air-pollution-and-climate-change/what-you-can-do-reduce-pollution-vehicles-and
https://www.nps.gov/pore/learn/nature/climatechange_action_transportation.htm