Environ Sci Technol. 2010 Nov 15;44(22):8656-64. doi: 10.1021/es9025529.
The transportation of goods plays a significant role in the overall greenhouse gas emissions from consumption. This study investigates the connections between French household consumption and production and transportation-related emissions throughout product supply chains. Here a two-region, environmentally extended input-output model is combined with a novel detailed, physical-unit transportation model to examine the connection between product, location of production, choice of transport mode, and greenhouse gas emissions. Total emissions associated with French household consumption are estimated to be 627 MtCO2e, or 11 tCO2e per capita. Of these, 3% are associated with the transportation of goods within France and 10% with transport of goods outside or into France. We find that most transport originating in northern Europe is by road, whereas most transport from other regions is conducted by sea and ocean transport. Rail, inland water, and air transportation play only a minor role in terms of mass, tonne-kilometers, and greenhouse gas emissions. By product, transport of coal and coke and intermediate goods make the largest contribution to overall freight transport emissions associated with French household consumption. In terms of mass, most goods are transported by road while in terms of tonne-kilometers, sea and ocean transport plays the largest role. Road transport contributes the highest share to the transport of all goods with the exceptions of coal and coke and petroleum. We examine the potential for emissions reductions associated with shifting 10% of direct imports by air freight to sea and ocean or road transport and find that the potential reductions are less than 0.03% of total emissions associated with French consumption. We also consider shifting 10% of direct imports by road transport to rail or inland water and find potential reductions on the order of 0.4−0.5% of the total or 3−4% of the freight transport emissions associated with French consumption. The greatest reductions are achieved by shifting from road transport to rail or inland water for direct imports from northern European countries. This suggests a potential environmental benefit associated with improving rail and inland water infrastructures in Europe.
货物运输在消费产生的温室气体排放总量中起着重要作用。本研究调查了法国家庭消费与生产之间的联系,以及整个产品供应链中与运输相关的排放。这里采用了两区域、环境扩展投入产出模型与新颖的详细实物单位运输模型相结合的方法,研究了产品、生产地点、运输方式选择与温室气体排放之间的关系。法国家庭消费相关的温室气体排放总量估计为 627 MtCO2e,或人均 11 tCO2e。其中,3%与法国国内货物运输有关,10%与法国境外或境内货物运输有关。我们发现,来自北欧的大部分运输是通过公路进行的,而来自其他地区的运输则主要通过海路和远洋运输进行。铁路、内陆水运和空运在运输量、吨公里和温室气体排放量方面的作用较小。按产品类别划分,煤炭和焦炭以及中间货物的运输对法国家庭消费相关货运运输排放的贡献最大。就运输量而言,大部分货物通过公路运输,而就吨公里而言,海路和远洋运输则发挥了最大的作用。除了煤炭和焦炭以及石油之外,公路运输对所有货物运输的贡献最大,其所占份额最高。我们研究了通过将 10%的直接进口货物由航空运输改为海运或陆运来减少排放的潜力,结果发现,与法国家庭消费相关的总排放量相比,这种减排潜力不到 0.03%。我们还考虑了将 10%的直接进口公路运输改为铁路或内陆水运,并发现潜在的减排量约为总排放量的 0.4−0.5%,或与法国家庭消费相关的货运运输排放量的 3−4%。从直接从北欧国家进口的货物运输方式改为铁路或内陆水运,可实现最大的减排。这表明改善欧洲铁路和内陆水运基础设施可能会带来环境效益。