REDUCE YOUR CARBON FOOTPRINT AND GO BY TRAIN

Travelling by rail remains one of the most carbon-friendly forms of transport.

According to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), modern transport is one of the largest sources of both urban and regional air pollution and greenhouse gases.

Although modern technology is able to manufacture cleaner new vehicles, most of the cars on our roads are old and poorly maintained. Cars remain the main source of greenhouse gas emissions and by switching to public transport, commuters will join the fight against climate change.

UNEP green train facts

• Over short distances air travel produces around three times more CO2 per passenger than rail.
• There are now more than 700 million cars in use globally, and the world is well on its way to a population of one billion vehicles.
• Personal and commercial transport consumes about 20 per cent of the global energy supply, 80 per cent of which comes from fossil fuels.
• One tonne of petrol will release the greenhouse gas equivalent of 3,760 kilograms of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.
• Road transport contributes close to 80 per cent to climate change. Air transport contributes 13 per cent, sea transport 7 per cent and rail contributes just half a per cent of total emissions from the transport sector.
• Sustainable transport involves coordinating both land-use planning and transport planning.
• Investing in sustainable public transport that is cleaner, less polluting and more efficient, has secondary employment generation multipliers of up to four jobs per direct job created.
• Several developed countries have introduced green measures in transport. These include:
  • Gasoline or carbon tax on fuels in Poland and Sweden.
  • Clean car rebates in Japan and the United States
  • Congestion charge in London
  • Electronic road pricing in Singapore
  • Insurance specific auto tax in France

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