Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
It is necessary to maximize carbon reductions within the transportation sector by determining the effectiveness of carbon reduction measures combined with demand side strategies such as pricing, land use, and investment.
Given that on-road transportation has the greatest negative effect on the climate compared to all other economic sectors, cutting air-pollutant emissions from this form of transportation would be good both for the climate and for public health.
A component of the new climate and energy bill aims to tackle transportation carbon, which accounts for over 30 percent of domestic carbon emissions and over 70 percent of domestic oil consumption. Pricing transportation carbon is a contentious—but ultimately crucial—component of managing climate change.
Road transportation is the greatest contributor to global warming for the next 50 years. U.S. policy makers must take steps to reduce emissions, promote green growth, and mitigate transportation’s harmful effects on the climate.