EEA report: Transport growth - an environmental dilemma

Publication date: 29 March 2006

Polluting emissions from transport continue to impact on health and undermine progress towards Kyoto targets, says a new report from the European Environment Agency (EEA).

"Transport and environment 2005: Facing a Dilemma", launched today in Brussels, shows that more goods and passengers are being transported farther and more frequently across Europe. While greenhouse gas emissions from other sectors decreased, those from transport increased in the EEA countries by more than 22 % between 1990 and 2003.

eea_report.pdf (3824 KB)

"Transport, especially road transport, is becoming cleaner because of increasingly strict emission standards and improved technology. However increases in demand continue to outstrip positive innovations. We are locked into patterns that are not easily changed in the short term. Long term policy initiatives are needed to encourage people to change their habits," says Professor Jacqueline McGlade, Executive Director of the EEA.

Transport is not the only reason for poor air quality. However by exposing people to emissions at street level it can have a serious impact on the health of the general public. Moreover, traffic is a significant source of emissions of fine and ultra-fine particles in cities and there is growing evidence that these particles have serious effects on health.

The report foresees that many European cities will continue to fail air quality limits. The impacts on health are severe: estimates suggest that as many as 370, 000 people die prematurely every year in Europe due to air pollution.

And while research into alternative fuels is important, use of so called 'bio-fuels', on a scale where it will significantly reduce total greenhouse gas emissions, will not be a reality for many years. In the meantime, transport will continue putting pressure on the continent's environment, the report says.