Research

Quantification of Savings for the European Transport Sector through Energy Efficient Urban Planning

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Abstract

The transport sector accounts for around 30 % of Europe’s final energy consumption. In order to meet the ambitious decarbonization goals set forth by the European Commission by 2050, it is important to design future transport systems based on the energy efficiency first principle, which essentially means to prioritize energy efficiency both in terms of technology, as well as on the planning side. To achieve that, it is important to quantify these energy efficiency savings potential, which could serve as a possible benchmark to nudge future policy and planning initiatives in the right direction. Hence, this study aims to provide an analysis of the European transport sector in the context of traditional and energy-efficient urban development. The energy-efficient urban development demonstrates a scenario where accessibility is provided through enhanced proximity to a destination rather than through increased mobility, and where transport and mobility are moved away from road transport and aviation towards rail and public transport. This development is ensured by, among other things, investing heavily in urban and inter-urban transport systems and abstaining from building new freeways and expanding airports. Namely, the following three areas are considered for quantification of these saving potentials in this study; urban spatial development, transport economic instruments such as parking fees, tolls, etc., and transport infrastructure. The results are compared with a traditional development scenario in terms of final energy demand and annual transport systems costs. The results indicate that it is not only desirable but also economically beneficial to shift towards an energy-efficient transport system. The development of the European transport sector in the proposed trajectory of the energy-efficient development scheme significantly reduces annual final energy demand from the transport sector, and the investment made in new infrastructure for rail, bikes, and walkable urban areas are paid back by the reduced cost from road transport.