Transport and environment report 2021 Decarbonizing road transport: the role of vehicles, fuels and transport demand

Road transport greenhouse gas emissions increased between 1990 and 2019. Current policies are projected to reverse this trend, but not sufficiently to reach the EU’s 2050 climate neutrality target. Transport is responsible for a quarter of the EU’s greenhouse gas emissions, with road transport representing the greatest share (72% in 2019). Climate and energy policies in the EU have contributed to significant reductions in greenhouse gas emissions in all sectors, except transport: total transport greenhouse gas emissions increased by more than 33% between 1990 and 2019 and road transport emissions by almost 28%. According to the European Commission, taking into account all existing policy measures, transport carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions are projected to be 3.5% higher in 2030 than in 1990 and to fall by only 22% by 2050 compared to 1990 levels. This is a long way from the 90% reduction by 2050 that is needed from transport to achieve the overall 2050 climate neutrality target. Road transport specifically is projected to perform slightly better, with emissions decreasing by 4% by 2030 and 35% by 2050, compared with 1990.