The transport sector is one of the largest sources of greenhouse gas emissions in the European Union. The sector has shown little progress in the reduction of emissions in recent decades. Despite efforts to reduce emissions from transport, such as increasing the deployment of electric vehicles, emissions have not significantly decreased since 2005. Estimates of 2023 emissions indicate a small drop of 0.8% compared with 2022. Member States project that domestic transport emissions will only fall below their 1990 levels in 2032. International aviation and maritime emissions are projected to continue increasing.

Figure 1. Greenhouse gas emissions from transport in Europe

Reducing emissions is one of the greatest challenges in achieving a sustainable transformation of the EU’s mobility systems as highlighted in the EEA’s report on Sustainability of Europe’s mobility systems. The EU’s domestic GHG transport emissions show a weak downward trend since 2005. The most significant drop occurred in 2020 due to effects of the Covid-19 pandemic. Emissions rebounded again in 2021 and 2022, before preliminary estimates indicate a slight decrease of 0.8% in 2023.

According to their national emission projections, Member States expect a general decrease in transport emissions over the next decades. These projections differentiate between the expected emission reductions from current policies and measures, and the additional reductions that planned measures can generate. The requirements for the projections are established in the Governance of the Energy Union and Climate Action Regulation.

By 2030, current policies and measures are projected to deliver GHG emissions from transport that remain 4% above 1990 levels. With additional measures, those emissions would be 8% below 1990 levels. Most planned policies and measures in the transport sector focus on promoting low-carbon fuels or zero-emission technologies, as well as encouraging a modal shift to public transport. 

Figure 2. Greenhouse gas emissions from transport in the EU, by transport mode and scenario

Among the domestic transport categories, emissions from domestic navigation, domestic aviation and railway have decreased since 1990. They are projected to remain relatively stable in the coming years. Only road transport emissions are projected to decrease.  

Road transport constitutes the highest proportion of overall transport emissions. In 2022 it emitted 73.2% of all EU’s transport GHG emissions (including domestic transport and international bunkers). This share is expected to decrease, as a majority of implemented and planned measures at the Union level focus on road transport.

The greatest increases up to 2030 are projected for aviation and international maritime transport. This continues the trend in emissions from both activities, which have grown since 1990. With road transport emissions set to decline, aviation and maritime emissions are therefore expected to constitute a higher proportion of transport sector emissions in the coming years.

The years impacted by Covid-19 were an exception to the trends described above. Aviation was particularly affected by the pandemic, with international aviation emissions 58% lower in 2020 than in 2019. However, this reduction was temporary. Air traffic emissions rose by 25% in 2021 and the pace further accelerated by 57% in 2022. Flight numbers are expected to return to 2019 levels by 2025