Sustainable transport is a key challenge of the EU Sustainable Develepment Strategy (EU SDS). The strategy's objective is to ensure that our transport systems meet society's economic, social and environmental needs whilst minimising their undesirable impacts on the economy, society and the environment.
Headline indicator
Operational objectives and targets
Actions/explanatory variables
Energy consumption of transport relative to GDP
Transport and mobility
Modal split of passenger transport
Volume of freight transport relative to GDP
Volume of passenger transport relative to GDP
Modal split of freight transport
Energy consumption by transport mode
Investment in transport infrastructure by mode (not yet available)
Transport impacts
Greenhouse gas emissions by transport mode
Emissions of nitrogen oxides (NOx) from transport
People killed in road accidents
Emissions of particulate matter from transport (Data currently under revision)
Average CO2 emissions per km from new passenger cars
Contextual indicator
Price indices for transport
Evaluation of changes in sustainable transport (2011 monitoring)
Overall, the changes since 2000 concerning sustainable transport present a rather unfavourable picture, although with some favourable trends:
Energy consumption of transport has grown slightly slower than GDP;
Increased share of road in freight transport;
Absolute decoupling between freight transport and the economy. Relative decoupling of passenger transport and GDP;
Road still takes the major share of infrastructure investment;
Prices for road and rail transport services have grown faster than air transport;
Growth in greenhouse gas emissions from transport has slowed down;
Progress in reducing average CO2 emissions of new car fleet;
The steady decrease of air pollutants accelerated in 2008;
