What are the least polluting means of transport

Pollution is a worrying phenomenon, the car remains the most used means of transport in America, but is also among the most polluting. Transport has a growing impact on our environment, as it is the main emitter of CO2, accounting for 39% of total emissions. Indeed, these CO2 emissions depend on the distance of the journey, but also on the number of passengers per vehicle.

Thus, for a daily journey of 2 kilometers, the car is the most polluting means of transport, closely followed by two-wheelers. This article will take stock of the most used means of transport as well as their level of carbon dioxide emissions.

Means of transport with high carbon dioxide emissions

As mentioned above, the greenhouse gas emissions of a vehicle depend on the distance of the journey, but also on its occupancy rate. Indeed, almost all means of transport are polluting. On a long distance journey, the car and the plane are by far the most polluting. The car emits on average 221 kg of carbon dioxide per year for a distance of 2 kilometers.

While the plane emits approximately 241 kg of greenhouse gases per passenger for a journey of 500 km. In addition, according to a study by the European Environment Agency (EEA), vehicles running on diesel or gasoline are considered to be the most harmful. These two means of transport are therefore very polluting on long distance journeys.

However, between these two means of transport, the car remains the most polluting over equivalent distances, although in the USA, 82% of journeys are made by car. Indeed, the higher the energy intensity of a means of transport, the more polluting it is. Be aware that the energy intensity of a car is higher than that of an airplane. As a result, it emits more CO2 since it consumes on average more energy to transport the same number of passengers.

The least polluting means of transport

On a short distance journey, walking, cycling and other means of transport such as scooters or rollerblades produce tiny quantities of CO2, equivalent to zero. Public transport such as: the tram or the bus also emits very little greenhouse gases. On the other hand, on a long distance journey, the least polluting means of transport is undoubtedly the speed train. In fact, the speed train emits on average 13.2 g of carbon dioxide per km traveled, which is much less than an electric car which emits 22 g, the regional express transport, for its part, emit approximately 43 g.

So, not only does the speed train operate using electricity, but it is also ideal for long-distance journeys. In addition, the carpooling system or the use of public transport as well as the use of electric cars are also excellent ways to reduce carbon dioxide emissions. Indeed, carpooling and public transport help reduce road traffic and reduce our greenhouse gas emissions. The use of an electric car, for its part, is encouraged by the states by putting in place several financial incentives such as the ecological bonus.

In short, according to a study carried out by the environment and energy management agency, the speed train is the least polluting means of transport. However, its use as a means of transportation still remains very expensive for many people. As a result, traveling by carpooling, electric car, public transport as well as the classic bicycle or electrically assisted VAE bicycle will considerably reduce the emission of gases that are harmful to our environment.

Written by scienceguy