Cited by 315Urban Transport and AccessibilityEnvironmental Impact and SustainabilityVehicle emissions and performance

The Climate Change Mitigation Effects of Daily Active Travel in Cities

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Brand, Christian, Dons, Evi, Anaya-Boig, Esther, Avila-Palencia, Ione, Clark, Anna, de Nazelle, Audrey, Gascon, Mireia, Gaupp-Berghausen, Mailin +15 more·2021·Transportation Research Part D: Transport and Environment

Abstract

Active travel (walking or cycling for transport) is considered the most sustainable form of personal transport. Yet its net effects on mobility-related CO2 emissions are complex and under-researched. Here we collected travel activity data in seven European cities and derived life cycle CO2 emissions across modes and purposes. Daily mobility-related life cycle CO2 emissions were 3.2 kgCO2 per person, with car travel contributing 70% and cycling 1%. Cyclists had 84% lower life cycle CO2 emissions than non-cyclists. Life cycle CO2 emissions decreased by −14% per additional cycling trip and decreased by −62% for each avoided car trip. An average person who ‘shifted travel modes’ from car to bike decreased life cycle CO2 emissions by 3.2 kgCO2/day. Promoting active travel should be a cornerstone of strategies to meet net zero carbon targets, particularly in urban areas, while also improving public health and quality of urban life.

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Authors
Brand, C., Dons, E., Anaya-Boig, E., Avila-Palencia, I., Clark, A., de Nazelle, A., Gascon, M., Gaupp-Berghausen, M., Gerike, R., Götschi, T., Iacorossi, F., Kahlmeier, S., Laeremans, M., Nieuwenhuijsen, M. J., Pablo Orjuela, J., Racioppi, F., Raser, E., Rojas-Rueda, D., Standaert, A., Stigell, E., Sulikova, S., Wegener, S., & Int Panis, L.
Affiliations
  • University of Oxford (GB)
  • Flemish Institute for Technological Research (BE)
  • Imperial College London (GB)
  • Austrian Institute of Spatial Planning (AT)
  • Technische Universität Dresden (DE)
  • University of Oregon (US)
  • Roma Servizi per la Mobilità (Italy) (IT)
  • University of Zurich (CH)
  • Universitat Pompeu Fabra (ES)
  • World Health Organization Regional Office for Europe (DK)
  • Austrian Federal Railways (AT)
  • BOKU University (AT)
Corresponding author
Brand, Christian
Venue
Transportation Research Part D: Transport and Environment
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2021-04
Volume
93
Pages
102764
ISSN
1361-9209 (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W3135500412
Cited by
315
References
86
Citations by year
2026: 56 · 2025: 85 · 2024: 60 · 2023: 43 · 2022: 45 · 2021: 26
FWCI
32.30
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Transportation Research Part D Transport and Environment (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • Research Square (acceptedVersion, cc-by)
  • Document Server@UHasselt (UHasselt) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
  • Repositori digital de la UPF (Universitat Pompeu Fabra) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
  • Spiral (Imperial College London) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
  • Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
Funders
  • EPSRC
  • European Commission Seventh Framework Programme for Research and Technological Development Health
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Transportation › Urban Transport and Accessibility
  • Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Environmental Engineering › Environmental Impact and Sustainability
  • Physical Sciences › Engineering › Automotive Engineering › Vehicle emissions and performance
Keywords
active travel, cycling, walking, life cycle CO2 emissions, modal shift, car travel, urban transport, climate change mitigation, net zero carbon, sustainable transport, European cities

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