Transport is fundamental to Europe’s economy and society. It enables the movement of goods and people across regions, supporting markets and sustaining over 10 million jobs while contributing around 5 percent of gross domestic product. It is also responsible for a substantial share of environmental externalities, including GHG emissions, air pollution, noise and congestion. With the EU targeting climate neutrality by 2050, transforming the transport system into a sustainable, low-emission and resilient sector is both imperative and complex.
The European Climate Law formalises the EU’s legal commitment to achieve climate neutrality by 2050. Achieving this will require reductions in GHG emissions across all economic sectors. In parallel, the European Commission’s (EC) communication on zero pollution put forward the ambition for 2030 to reduce the health impacts of air pollution and the share of people chronically exposed to transport noise by 55 percent and 30 percent, respectively, compared to 2005 levels. Yet, while most other sectors have achieved substantial reductions over recent decades, transport-related GHG emissions continue to rise. The transport sector accounted for almost a third of the EU’s total GHG emissions in 2023. Pollutants such as ammonia (NH3) and nitrous oxide (N2O) show similarly resistant trends.
The sector’s environmental performance is not uniform, however. A closer look at individual transport modes highlights not only diverse trends and technological developments influencing Europe’s GHG and pollution footprint, but also the uneven potential for further emission reductions across modes.
Passenger cars are responsible for around 72 percent of Europe’s transport activity (measured in passenger kilometres). This activity has increased significantly in the last 28 years, peaking in 2019 and already recovering in 2021 after a decline following the COVID-19 pandemic. While public transport offers a more sustainable profile compared to private modes, its share of total passenger transport has changed very little. Passenger cars are still the preferred mode of transport and their number has increased in recent years.
Consumer interest in long-distance train connections across Europe has risen over the past few years, a move which parallels a revival and expansion of sleeper train services. This in spite of the grid not yet being finely integrated enough to offer a substantial alternative to car and aeroplane journeys.
Alongside the growth in passenger transport activity, road freight transport continues to grow significantly. This expansion is expected to continue in the coming years, according to recent EC scenarios. Meanwhile, the relative importance of rail in total freight transport activity decreased by 2023, compared to 1995, but is expected to increase in the coming decade. With high energy efficiency and low GHG and air pollution emissions, an expanding rail sector represents a key opportunity to reduce some of the transport sector’s environmental impacts in the future.
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The decarbonisation of domestic and international aviation and maritime transport faces notable challenges. These modes are projected to account for a progressively larger share of Europe’s GHG transport emissions in the coming decades, rising from around 26 percent in 2023 to over 47 percent in 2050. The selection and large-scale deployment of alternative, sustainable energy carriers, combined with further energy efficiency improvements and a shift to more climate-friendly modes whenever possible, is critical.
EU Member States have achieved significant reductions in most major air pollutants (with the exception of NH3 and N2O) from transport activity. Depending on the pollutant, emissions fell by between 47 percent and 90 percent from 1990 to 2023, thanks to policy measures and technological development. The greatest progress stemmed from reduced exhaust pollutant emissions from road transport, where tighter standards and the development of advanced after-treatment systems played a decisive role.
Emissions of several air pollutants have also declined in the aviation and maritime sectors, though challenges remain. Sulphur oxides emissions have fallen markedly in maritime transport because of ambitious policies. However, further reductions are necessary, particularly of black carbon particles. The climate-forcing effects of emissions other than carbon dioxide (CO2) from aviation are under increasing scrutiny, as their overall impact is two to four times higher than CO2 alone.
To accelerate the sustainable transition of Europe’s mobility system, continued public and private investment in innovation and technology remains essential, alongside effective implementation of existing legislation. Notably, the revised EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS) Directive, part of the Fit for 55 policy package, mandates Member States to allocate all EU ETS revenues to climate action, the energy transition and social challenges. The directive also strengthens funding for the innovation and modernisation funds, with the former deploying an estimated EUR 40 billion to demonstrate pioneering low-carbon technologies. Additionally, the EU’s new emissions trading system (ETS2) — covering fuel combustion in buildings, road transport and small industry — should be fully operational by 2028. It will further incentivise emission reductions in these sectors.
Achieving significant reductions in the climate, air quality and noise impacts of European transport will require sustained investment and robust regulation, alongside a broader shift towards a more sustainable mobility system. This includes measures that reduce unnecessary travel, encourage more efficient organisation of freight and logistics, boost multi-modal transport and create conditions that make cleaner and safer transport modes more accessible and attractive to all. Advancing sustainability in transport also means addressing wider objectives, such as improving public health, reducing environmental pressures on urban and rural areas, fostering social inclusion and ensuring a just transition for workers and communities.
Source: EEA
