The relevance of indirect environmental impacts from transport for energy policies

Panel: Panel 5: Land use,Transportation and infrastructure (urban and regional planning, approaches to change in well entrenched systems)

Author:
Sandra Bos, Netherlands Energy Research Foundation ECN

Abstract

Transport contributes directly to environmental problems through noise and gaseous emissions during driving. Besides, transport contributes to environmental problems indirectly, due to the construction and maintenance of vehicles and infrastructure. This paper discussses the indirect energy requirements and emissions from freight transport by rail and road transport and over the inland waterways in The Netherlands. Moreover, it discusses the incorporation of indirect environmental impact in energy policy studies on the medium-long term.

Methodologies to calculate the indirect environmental impacts are discussed shortly. Next, results show that the indirect energy requirements and emissions contribute significantly to the total energy and emissions of freight transport. In case of freight road transport, the indirect energy requirements make up 18% of the direct energy requirements. Indirect environmental impacts of transport should be considered in energy policies on the medium-long term since they make up a considerable part and since they are likely to increase in future due to major changes regarding the infrastructural networks, such as the construction of large infrastructure works.

Furthermore, in a case study on goods with low and high densities, energy and emissions reduction strategiesare studied considering both direct and indirect environmental impacts. These impacts are calculated based on a computer model which has been developed for this purpose. Results show that in order to reach large energy and emission reductions, other strategies should be selected when direct en indirect impacts are considered rather than only direct impacts are considered.