Global transport emissions 1850-2020: Historical drivers and lessons for transport decarbonization

My latest article (with co-authors from Portugal and England) has appeared in Transportation Research Part D. In it, we look at global transport CO₂ emissions from 1850 to 2020.

We found that efficiency gains (which would serve to reduce CO₂ emissions) are insufficient to overcome rising demand (from economic growth). Furthermore, maintaining emissions at 2020 levels through 2029 would require electricity to supply 52% of transport energy.

Bernardo made many awesome figures for the paper, which illustrate the evolution of energy consumption by transport over more than 1.5 centuries. Check it out!