Transportation is an essential part of economic development. There are different modes of transportation for people and goods. They include Air(airplanes), rail(trains), water(ships), road(trucks, cars), etc. These various modes have means of transport that rely on fuels, particularly liquid fossil fuels, as these fuels have enormous energy compared to their weight, support internal combustion engines, they are easy to transport and store. Unfortunately, these fuels contribute to GHG emissions. According to the International Transport Forum, the transport sector accounts for about 23% of GHG emissions globally.
In 2016, The International Transport Forum (ITF) launched an initiative to set the tone and guide individuals, industries and governments in decarbonizing the transport sector. The Decarbonizing Transport Initiative aims to achieve carbon-neutral mobility to end climate change. The organization also outlines five policy outcomes for decarbonizing mobility. These includes:
- Improved design, operations and planning of transport systems:
- Electrification
- Low-carbon fuels and energy vectors
- Mode shift and demand management
- Innovation and up-scaling
Also, Decarbonizing the transport sector can be attained by;
- Adopting policy frameworks to allow for the growth and implementation of sustainable transportation. This also includes incentives to encourage the switch to cleaner fuels and means of transport.
- Developing and integrating transport plans in urban and rural development. It includes designing cities to reduce transport activities, thereby discouraging unnecessary travel and adopting sustainable means of transport for necessary travel by adequately planning and integrating life activities into the settlements and promoting public transport.
- Promoting low carbon emitting fuels like biofuels or Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) instead of fossil fuels.
- Adopting Electric Vehicles (EVs) is essential in decarbonizing the transport sector. Incentives can drive the adaptation and transition to EVs. There have to be decarbonized power systems integrated as generators to charge these EVs. The transition to hydrogen as fuel should be embraced as we strive to decarbonize the transport sector.
As the global population approaches about 8 billion people, the demand for transportation will constantly increase. There is a need for urgency in decarbonizing the transport sector as we race toward a net-zero economy. Much work is being done to redefine mobility globally, particularly with small vehicles dropping off internal combustion engines and becoming electric-driven with battery storage as a backup. Large vehicles carrying heavy-duty goods over long distances (trucks, aeroplanes and ships) cannot be left behind in this transition quest. It is now expedient to think out of the box to innovate and revolutionize across the sector.