Forskningscentrum för internationella marknader (CEMAT)

NDI Policy Brief 16: Decarbonizing road passenger transport in the ND area

This policy brief elaborates recommendations for road passenger transport decarbonization in the Northern Dimension (ND) area. On the one hand, road transport emits 25% of total greenhouse gas in ND countries and produces dangerous local pollutions, and the share of passenger transport of these emissions is more than 75%. Nitrogen oxide, sulphur oxide and particular matter emissions are the reason for numerous lung and breathe diseases of city inhabitants.

On the other hand, road transport gives people invaluable freedom of movement, as people commute every day to work, study and leisure. The average motorization rate is over 50% in ND countries. This raises the key question: How can people keep their freedom of movement but pollute less?
time lapse photography of car
Photo by Alessio Lin

There are several ways to decarbonize road passenger transport, such as optimizing driving needs according to ecological criteria, remote work or study, using 2 and 3 wheelers empowered by human or electricity, sharing mobility services with others, and driving less polluting cars such as hybrid, electric or gas vehicles. All these options influence traditional behavior, which needs to be considered in developing policies for road passenger transport decarbonization.

  • Recommendation 1. Inform people about climate and ecological issues and thus influence positively consumer behavior, and popularize eco-mobility.

  • Recommendation 2. Develop infrastructure and services for carbon-free mobility and sharing. Support eco infrastructure.

  • Recommendation 3. The balance between economic, ecological, and social needs. Limit the use of polluting transport wherever and whenever it is possible. Ensure access to mobility for people living in remote areas and for low-income people.

  • Recommendation 4. Make a realistic long-term vision, which includes support for R&D, development of carbon footprint trackers that find the optimal ecological and economic model of sustainable transport system, as well as learning from international experience.

  • Recommendation 5. Support more intensive technology transfer, joint research, pilot projects, and NGO initiatives among ND countries.

Download the policy brief: Decarbonizing road passenger transport in the ND area (PDF)

The authors:

Natalia Sarakhanova, Saint Petersburg State University of Economics

Dmitry Vasilenko, Saint Petersburg State University of Economics

Vasily Zinin, National Gas Vehicle Association

This policy brief was written as a part of the NDI Policy Brief Training held in October 2020.

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