An Analysis of CO2 Emissions from International Transport and the Driving Forces of Emissions Change

Abstract

As a consequence of globalization, increased international transport generates many pollutants. Pollution generation from other industries related to international transport also cannot be ignored. This paper thus aims to investigate the carbon emissions from international transport. We analyzed embodied carbon emissions of international transport using multi-region input output analysis, and identified the factors underlying changes in emissions using structural decomposition analysis. China was the world's largest CO2-emitting country in international transport in terms of both production- and consumption-based standards. However, consumption-based emissions in that country were much lower than production-based emissions, while in the United States, with second largest emissions, the situation was the opposite. Major emission changes were contingent on demands for international transportation and emission efficiency. In the case of the European Union (EU), consumption-based emissions were higher, but CO2 emissions decreased gradually due to increased emission efficiency. The different information is provided by each standard, and reduction targets can change according to the standards employed. While discussions on emissions standards are still in progress, the results of this study suggest that CO2 emissions from international transport, and according to different emissions standards, should receive careful attention in energy policy design, in order to limit CO2 emissions globally.