Traffic, its impacts and public attitudes - Transport Policy and Planning in Great Britain - page 54

3.8 Fuel consumption, CO 2 emissions and climate change
The use of oil by transport modes (as petrol or diesel) is important in terms of the
utilisation of this finite resource, and its combustion is the major source of carbon
dioxide emissions from this sector of the economy. Figure 3.10 shows that since 1980
the nation's overall consumption has remained broadly constant but that transport has
consumed a much increased share (from 41% to 66%).
Consumption by road transport increased by almost a half during the 1980s
(roughly pro rata with traffic growth). Since 1990 however it has increased much more
slowly due to a combination of increasing vehicle efficiency and a reduced rate of
traffic growth. During this time vehicle miles per annum have increased by 23% but
consumption has increased by less than half this. By contrast the fuel consumed by air
transport (domestic and international, uplifted in the UK) has doubled and is the main
source of the increasing consumption of the transport sector.
Improvements in the efficiency of cars are offset by the trend towards greater
ownership of larger engined models, especially amongst company-owned cars. The
proliferation of larger sports utility vehicles (SUVs) is a particular expression of this.
In connection with greenhouse gas emissions the Kyoto Protocol requires the
monitoring of a 'basket' of emissions, weighted by their Global Warming Potential. The
target has been set of a 12.5% reduction below 1990 levels by 2012. Carbon dioxide
(CO 2 ) contributes about 85% of the UK total and almost all emissions from the
transport sector are of this kind. As far as road transport is concerned CO 2 emissions
are a product of engine size and efficiency, vehicle design, driver behaviour and traffic
speeds (i.e. of overall fuel consumption) and of the composition of fuels.
Since 1980 emissions of CO 2 from all sources have declined slowly (Figure 3.11).
In 2005 they were 5.3% lower than in 1990 but higher than the trajectory required
to meet the UK Government's own target of a 20% reduction by 2010. However
emissions from transport sources have increased by 11% during this period (to 129m
tonnes) and now comprise 23% of the total. (If presented by end-user category, i.e.

100

90

80

70

60

50

Non transport
uses

40

Air transport*

30

20

Rail and water
transport

10

Road transport

0

* Graph includes all fuel uplifted within UK by domestic
and international aircraft

Figure 3.10 Fuel consumption by transport and other uses UK 1980-2006