World Bank Document

90 ■ CITIES AND CLIMATE CHANGE

Transport is a key driver of the economy and is highly dependent (98 percent) on
fossil oil. Although already a signifi cant sector of GHG emissions, it is also the
fastest growing sector globally. Between 1990 and 2003, emissions from the trans-
port sector grew 1,412 million metric tons (31 percent) worldwide. Th e sector’s
share of carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) emissions is also increasing. In 2005, the transport
sector contributed 23 percent of CO 2 emissions from fossil fuel combustion. It is
also the sector where the least progress has been made in addressing cost-eff ective
GHG reductions (Sperling and Cannon 2006). As mentioned earlier, the frag-
mentation of emissions sources and the complexity of demand and supply issues
in urban transport explain the lack of progress. Making transport activity more
sustainable must be a top priority policy if climate change is to be addressed.
In most cities, numerous urban problems are transport related, such as con-
gestion on urban roads, poor air quality, fragmented labor markets, and social
fractioning due to poor access to economic and social activity and the like (Ng
and Schipper 2005; World Bank 2009). Road transport accounts for, by far, the
largest proportion of CO 2 emissions from the transport sector, principally from
automobile transport. Against the projected increase in car ownership world-
wide (expected to triple between 2000 and 2050), road transport will continue
to account for a signifi cant share of CO 2 emissions in the coming decades.
Within cities, modal share and measures facilitating less GHG-intensive modes

Figure 4.2 CO 2 Emissions in Five High-Income Cities

Source: EIU 2008.

100

90

80

70

60

50

40

30

20

10

0

New York City London Tokyo Stockholm Rome

Industry

Buildings

Transport

Percent emission of CO

per person per year (2005) per sector 2

25% 28% 31% 31%

38%