7 June 2107: The transportation sector is responsible for 14% of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Reducing emissions from transport is therefore an important part of any strategy to combat climate change and its impacts, in line with Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 13 (climate action).

The widespread electrification of transport through the adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) is one strategy to reduce GHG emissions in several transport sub-sectors. If EVs are charged with electricity from emissions-free sources, their adoption can also increase the share of renewables in the global energy mix (target 7.2), and contribute to reducing air pollution and related health impacts (target 3.9). While recent reports on EV adoption show a clear upward trend, the electrification of transport is still a long way from making a dent in global GHG emissions, considering that global demand for transport continues to increase. We bring you news on these and other transport-related developments, which highlight the linkages among SDGs 3 (good health and well-being), 7 (affordable and clean energy) and 13 (climate action).

Global sales of EVs surpassed two million units for the first time in 2016, reports the International Energy Agency (IEA) in its ‘Global EV Outlook.’ China accounted for 40% of those EVs, making it the global leader in EV sales before the US and Europe. While EVs account for only 0.2% of global vehicle market share, several countries stand out regarding EV adoption rates. In Norway, almost every third vehicle is electric, whereas market shares in the Netherlands and Sweden have attained 6.4 and 3.4%, respectively.

While the continued growth in EV sales is encouraging, the IEA notes that growth of EV adoption rates will have to accelerate rapidly to achieve the objective of the Paris Agreement to limit temperature increases to well below 2°C above pre-industrial levels. According to IEA’s ‘Energy and Technology Perspectives,’ at least 600 million cars must be electric by 2040 to sufficiently reduce transport emissions. The report also outlines how cities are taking the lead in supporting EV adoption by investing in charging infrastructure, creating incentives for EV owners and using policies such as fleet procurement to boost EV sales in their jurisdictions. The publication concludes that “clear and ambitious” policy support will be essential to achieve adoption rates in line with the IEA’s low-carbon scenario. [IEA Press Release] [Global EV Outlook] [Energy Technology Perspectives]

The EEA reported that in 2015 GHG emissions in the EU increased for the first time since 2010, mainly due to a higher demand for passenger and goods transport that offsets gains in average fuel economy.

Efforts to boost EV adoption and increase fuel economy face an uphill battle if the continued increase in demand for personal and goods traffic threatens to offset the emissions reductions achieved. The European Environment Agency (EEA) reported that in 2015 GHG emissions in the EU increased for the first time since 2010, mainly due to a higher demand for passenger and goods transport that offsets gains in average fuel economy. For the second year in a row, transport emissions increased by 1.6% compared to the previous year, whereas emissions from aviation increased 3.3%. The increases in transport and aviation, which together account for 24% of the EU’s emissions, led to an overall increase in emissions of 0.5%. Since 1990, EU-wide emissions have decreased by 22.1% while the EU’s economies expanded 50%.

The EEA also notes that 2015 saw the strongest economic growth since 2007 and that the emissions increase followed a strong decrease in emissions in 2014, suggesting that the EU continues to show that “long-term economic growth is possible while reducing GHG emissions.” The press release draws on data provided by the EEA’s annual GHG inventory report and a report analyzing key trends and drivers of GHG emissions. [EEA Press Release] [Annual European Greenhouse Gas Inventory 1990-2015 and Inventory Report 2017] [Analysis of Key Trends and Drivers in Greenhouse Gas Emissions in the EU Between 1990 and 2015]

Recent news have also focused on national efforts to reduce emissions from transportation, but in Asia and the Pacific. The Partnership on Transparency under the Paris Agreement reported that the Vietnamese Ministry is making progress in developing its assessment methodology for transport emissions. Transport accounts for 23% of Viet Nam’s GHG emissions and has been highlighted as a priority sector in the country’s Intended National Determined Contribution (INDC). Working in partnership with the German Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), the ministry is developing a tool to calculate emissions from all sub-sectors of transport, including road, air, rail, maritime transport and inland navigation. The tool is based on the Transport Emission Model used by the German Government, initially developed by the Institute for Energy and Environment Research (IFEU).[Partnership on Transparency under the Paris Agreement New Release] [GIZ Project on Advancing Transport Climate Strategies] [TREMOD Project Webpage (IFEU)]

In Australia, policy makers and stakeholders have created the national Electric Vehicle Council to promote EV adoption throughout the country. Consisting of 17 members, including industry organizations, NGOs and thinktanks, the Council will address barriers to EV uptake with a specific focus on: EVs in corporate fleets; policy initiatives and emissions standards; investment in charging infrastructure; and tracking progress through an annual state of EVs report. The launch of the Council coincided with announcements by the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) to invest AUD390,000 to support EV uptake, and by energy company AGL to purchase additional EVs as next step towards it target to electrify 10% of its business fleet. [Electric Vehicle Council Website] [Climate Action News Release]