Report highlights that emissions of pollutants fell because of the economic downturn

The latest annual report on transport emissions from the European Environment Agency (EEA) highlights that the reduction of emissions of many pollutants from transport in 2009 may only be a temporary effect of the economic downturn.

Emissions levels of almost all pollutants from transport fell in 2009, as there was a drop in demand. However, according to the latest report on transport emissions from the European Environment Agency (EEA), this fall was due to the economic recession. EEA stresses that it would need to see a more fundamental shift in Europe’s transport system, so that emissions do not increase even in times of strong economic growth.

The Agency also underlines that the proposed in the Commission’s Roadmap, which was presented in March, will frame policy making at the European, national and municipal level in order to tackle environmental issues connected to transport. The report shows there are significant opportunities for policy makers to address these problems coherently, for example by addressing air quality and climate change together.

The EEA report on transport and the environment shows that some efficiency gains have been made. For example, new cars in 2010 were approximately a fifth more efficient than in 2000. However, these relatively modest gains are often outpaced by growing demand, even if the recession slowed activity in some areas. Between 1990 and 2009, demand for transport grew by approximately one third, leading to a 27% increase in greenhouse gases (GHGs) from transport in the same period.