Transportation

Transportation accounts for over 25 percent of total U.S. greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, which come primarily from the combustion of petroleum-based fuels. Importantly, transportation also accounts for about 70 percent of our oil consumption, which greatly affects our energy security.

Most transportation emissions are from fuel use in one of four vehicle types: passenger cars, light-duty trucks (which include SUVs, pickup trucks, and mini-vans), freight trucks, and airplanes. Achieving emission reductions and oil savings from the transportation sector requires a multi-pronged approach that includes improving vehicle efficiency, lowering the carbon content of fuels, reducing vehicle miles traveled, and improving the efficiency of the overall transportation system. 

At C2ES, we focus on all aspects of transportation from improving vehicle technology to the benefits of land-use planning. We produce cutting-edge research; track policy progress at the state, federal, and international level; blog on current transportation issues; and create and maintain an online resource of transportation technology. 

Cutting-Edge Research - In our 2011 report titled Reducing Greenhouse Emissions from U.S. Transportation, we identify cost-effective solutions that will significantly reduce transportation's impact on our climate while improving our energy security. We also produce timely white papers on transportation such as two papers focused on surface transportation reauthorization. See all our transportation-related publications.

Policy Progress - We track action at the state, federal, and internationa level. Our state maps provide useful overviews of action to promote alternative technologies. We also summarize action in Congress and in the Executive Branch, such as our summaries of the Renewable Fuel Standard and Vehicle Fuel Economy and Emission Standards. Lastly we track action at the international level, such as our comparison of international fuel economy standards.

Climate Compass Blog - On our blog, we provide C2ES's take on the latest news from the transportation sector. See our transportation blog postings. 

Climate Techbook - The transportation section of the Climate Techbook provides an introduction to the different modes of transportation along policies to help mitigate GHG emissions and save oil. Below is a list of all the transportation-related factsheets within the Techbook.

Recommended Resources

U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT)

• Research and Innovative Technology Administration (RITA)
• National Household Travel Survey (NHTS)
• Federal Highway Office of Planning, Enviornment and Realty (HEP)

U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)

• Transportation Energy Data Book
• Alternative Fuels & Advanced Vehicles Data Center

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

• Renewable Fuel Standard
• Office of Transportation and Air Quality
• SmartWay Program

Joint Federal Programs

• HUD-DOT-EPA Partnership for Sustainable Communities
• Fueleconomy.gov

Transportation Documents by the Natural Resources Defense Council 

The World Resources Institute Center for Sustainable Transport: EMBARQ 

AASHTO Transportation and Climate Change Resource Center

Related Business Environmental Leadership Council (BELC) Companies