What is the real impact of long-distance passenger travel? Research from the University of Leeds has urged us to rethink how we approach reducing carbon emissions from transportation
Published in the journal Nature Energy, the research shows that while journeys over 50 miles account for less than 3% of all trips by UK residents, they contribute to 70% of all carbon emissions related to passenger travel.
Carbon emissions related to travel
This difference is even more evident internationally, where rips make up 0.4% of total journeys but result in 55% of emissions.
Dr. Zia Wadud, the lead researcher at the University’s Institute for Transport Studies, emphasises the critical role of targeting long-distance travel to combat climate change effectively. “The scale of the impact of long-distance travel is very large indeed,” Dr. Wadud stated.
The study introduces a new metric called emission reduction sensitivity, which evaluates the potential impact of shifting different types of travel to more sustainable alternatives.
Different ways to reduce emissions
By replacing all car journeys under eight miles with walking or cycling would reduce emissions by 9.3%.
However, due to the majority of locals traveling by car, over 55% of journeys would need to shift to achieve this, resulting in a low sensitivity score of 0.17.
Transitioning flights under 1,000 miles to rail travel would reduce emissions by 5.6%, affecting only 0.17% of journeys. This would result in a significantly higher sensitivity score of 33.2.
Limiting individuals to one international flight per year would produce an even higher score of 158.3, reflecting the substantial emission reductions per affected journey.
Dr. Muhammad Adeel, the study’s co-author, underscores the importance of including aviation emissions in national statistics to provide a comprehensive view of travel’s environmental impact. “We are not getting a holistic picture and ignoring a large part of the problem,” Dr. Adeel noted.
Reducing future emissions
The research aims to encourage policymakers to prioritise reducing emissions from long-distance travel in their climate strategies. Dr. Wadud highlighted, “The important thing both at the policy and personal level is that we prioritise the relatively fewer longer distance trips, especially flights, in order to realise the largest reductions.”
The findings are based on data from the Department for Transport’s National Travel Survey and the International Passenger Survey by the Office for National Statistics, offering valuable insights into the potential environmental benefits of altering travel behaviours.
The study reminds us of the role individuals and policymakers can play in mitigating travel’s environmental impact. By reevaluating travel habits and policies, we can clearly make significant strides toward a more sustainable future.
The research team emphasises that while their findings offer suggestions, they are intended to spark dialogue and inform decision-making at both personal and policy levels. By focusing on reducing emissions from long-distance travel, there is potential to achieve substantial environmental gains while minimising disruption to everyday travel patterns.