Are we miscalculating the environmental impact of transport?

AeroTime is excited to welcome Dr. Klaus Radermacher as our columnist. With over 35 years in management, science, and consulting, Dr. Radermacher brings a wealth of experience in analyzing and assessing transportation systems. His innovative approach integrates infrastructure and movement processes into holistic CO2 and energy comparisons. Follow his LinkedIn newsletter “Think. Mobility. Differently.” for regular insights on mobility concepts and transportation systems. The views and opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of AeroTime.

Few other topics are currently being discussed as intensively and emotionally as the “ecological footprint” of various transportation systems, usually reduced to more or less correct figures on CO2 and NOx emissions. Such discussions often result in highly simplified statements such as “taking the train is environmentally friendly”, “driving a car is harmful to the environment” and “flying is even more harmful”.

The fact that an appropriate evaluation is much more complex and that it is not sufficient to measure only the exhaust gases at the tailpipe in order to take the environmental aspect adequately into account will be illustrated in this study. Previous approaches to assessing and comparing greenhouse gases (GHG) emissions in a broader context have primarily aimed to include not only short-term emissions but also their long-term climate impact. The approach described here aims to evaluate transport sector emissions holistically, including ALL necessary infrastructure components. Emissions that so far have been attributed to “industry” or “the construction sector” are now attributed to the specific transportation system and assigned to the respective transportation service provided, as long as they are directly related to the provision of that service. For example, large amounts of steel and aluminum are needed in the construction of trains, cars or airplanes, concrete and steel in the construction of roads, bridges, tunnels, runways. If the cause-effect relationship of each transportation system is appropriately taken into account, the energy consumption and pollutants produced by concrete and steel for highway bridges must be allocated to the energy and pollutant balance of the road transport mode; if the structures are railroad bridges or tunnels, they must be allocated accordingly to railway transportation, and the concrete for airport runways must be added to the balance of the aviation transport system. This approach is very complex, but even a few examples prove that it is not sufficient at all to measure only the direct exhaust gases at the tailpipe in order to take adequate account of the environmental aspect.

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