How to decarbonise transport

The International Transport Forum (ITF) releases a biennial report on how we can reduce the carbon emissions from transport - planes, trains, automobiles, and more. This video is a summary of the recent 2023 ITF report, breaking their "high ambition" framework down into fifteen steps. Are these steps the optimal pathway to decarbonising transport? Quite possibly not. Is there lots of complexity in the report that I don't have the time to discuss in the video? Definitely. Are sustainable aviation fuels realistic? Doubtful.

But this video is an overview of one - at least quasi- - realistic pathway to slashing transport emissions. It contains several points that I am doubtful of. But I hope this is a useful starting point, based on a respected think tank and established literature. If you would like to learn more, please check out the documents below:

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Edited by Luke Negus. Thanks to Samwise, Andy, and Ferox for the game footage!

Video title: How to decarbonise transport

This video is about how to decarbonise transport - how we can move around without emitting (as much) carbon dioxide. This video essay is based on the International Transport Forum (ITF) and their reports. The 2023 ITF report has lots of detail on how the transport can reduce its carbon emissions, that I summarise in how to decarbonise transport in 15 steps. If you like videos from Wendover Productions, Kurzgesagt - In a Nutshell, Climate Town, Not Just Bikes, or Real Life Lore, you'll enjoy this video essay about how to reduce carbon emissions from transport.

Huge thanks to my supporters on Patreon: CC, Rebecca Rivers, Ebraheem Farag, Thomas Charbonnel, Mark Moore, Philipp Legner, Zoey O'Neill, Veronica Castello-Vooght, Heijde, Paul H and Linda L, Marcus Bosshard, Liat Khitman, Dan Sherman, Matthew Powell, Adrian Sand, Stormchaser007 , Daniël Sneep, Dan Nelson, The Cairene on Caffeine, Cody VanZandt, Igor Francetic, bitreign33 , Rafaela Corrêa Pereira, Thusto , Andy Hartley, Lachlan Woods, Andrea De Mezzo.

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[mooreanonumbers]

I'm surprised forcing manufacturers to build lighter cars is rarely mentioned as a stopgap, especially when it's affecting many other issues. The weight, size and power creep has been immense over the past few decades. Having people alone in their 2 tons EV tanks isn't gonna cut it, especially if only the upper middle class can afford it without getting into debt.

[mikajacobsen]

Also, there are soooo many many more good reasons to reduce car traffic in urban areas through walkability, bikabilty and public transit. Less death, injury, pollution, wasted space, sealed areas (flooding), noise, etc.
CO2 reductions are really just the tip of the melting iceberg.

[disaster_chief]

glad you mentioned Australia - I'm in my 20s and when I heard that a plan for a very fast train connecting the east coast has been around since at least the 80s I was utterly confused as to why it hasn't resulted in anything. I was also understandably pissed off when our carbon tax was repealed. (all this was more than 10 years ago so I didn't understand the political power that massive corporations have - especially corporate media)

[simonabunker]

Moving away from fossil fuels for other transport will help reduce emissions from shipping a lot - as many ships are tankers transporting oil. Love the digital version of your book in the background!

[martincrotty]

Very interesting video.

We're definitely caught up in a situation where transport advanced so quickly and we've completely normalised it to such a point that we can't look at it from an outside perspective.
In such a short amount of time, we've completely built our systems around strange metal contraptions dependent on long dead crushed microorganisms, or rare earth metals extracted from across the world, and while it's been good for us, now so many see these metal contraptions as the only way to go.
Look at the outrage and panic over the concept of 15 minute cities and building our societies around humans instead. There's no real recognition that masses of people stuck in traffic constantly because many necessary services are further away isn't really normal but it's perceived as an attack on the ordinary everyday people. That said, I don't blame them for being sceptical and distrusting with how very little has been done at the political level to try and cut down and restrict the use of private jets used by a minority of the population.

Flight is also very interesting when you truly take a few steps back and admire the sheer spectacle of it
For millenia, man looked up at the birds in the sky and dreamed of the possibilities of what it would be like to fly with such freedom and peace. Now here we are just over a century since flight with planes started off and so many take it as an absolute birthright and completely normalise it, bitching and moaning all the way about the sheer inconveniences expected getting to the airport through security, and boarding a flight with so many others, likely to sleep the whole journey and not truly grasping the absurdity of these flying vehicles that will let us travel distances our ancestors could only dream about in such a short amount of time

[ricardoludwig]

Great video, 2 small points that I feel went understated that could use more emphasis.
- using trains more for transport of goods in between cities; even diesel trains will often have less emissions than electric trucks due to emissions repairing road damage, and there is a lot to be gained in this area instead of focusing on stuff that is already hard to do or would be more difficult (like increasing energy production while becoming greener to power eTrucks)
- there is a lot to be gained in investing in lower income countries, as investment dollars go a lot further and there is often huge areas to improve. I live in Brazil, and while we are doing remarkably well in terms of having renewable sources of energy, we have virtually nonexistent rail infrastructure both in cities and for long distance travel, and doing so would help the world a lot more than making traveling from Rotterdam to Amsterdam even better

[PierreMiniggio]

I really like this way of presenting issues and solutions where you repeat what your source states and then attach your own affirming / contradicting / doubtful opinions right after.
Makes it easier to distinguish what is what.

[andyhartley]

That OpenTTD footage is really cool and kudos to the person who captured it 👀😁

[dellaisabella]

I really enjoyed this video. Here in Tanzania, East Africa we have introduced the Bus Rapid Transit and the Standard Gauge Railway in the city of Dar-es-Salaam. The Bus Rapid Transit Is working okayish but is overwhelmed by the number of passengers. Additionally, the operations of the whole project are not really being regulated well. So, it's a good initiative, but we need to work on our systemic governance for innovations like this to work.

[DengueBurger]

4:00 there actually is a point in electric vehicles WITHOUT decarbonizing the electric grid.

Power plants are so efficient because they can harness heat byproduct from energy production and turn it into stream energy; something no internal combustion engine in a car can do. Hence, per gallon of petrol or ton of coal, you get way more energy (and thus way less emissions) if it goes into a power plant and then into a car, than straight into a car.

[theenlightened]

I think you didnt talk enough about public transport for Inter-city travel. If we plan our city well we can encourage modelling for bicycle commutes as we can learn from europe, And these solutions can be impleted now without having to wait.

[alistairjohnson]

Good to see you back Simon. If you take into account full life cycle carbon costs then wind assist (WA) is hands down the most carbon cost effective form of alternative power available to shipping because the power is delivered free at the point of use. The cost is vested in the capture devices, the sails and as mass production kicks in the cost of WA will be falling by around 2/3rds while the cost of hydrocarbon and other combustibles will be rising above inflation. The International Wind Ship Association (IWSA) has calculated that if the shipping industry were to adopt WA across the board now the savings would fund all the other emissions reductions costs the industry will face going forward. Just saying:).

[Kulei]

I think you forgot in 11:50 about the possibility of nuclear reactors on ships. Designs existed and they are incredibly safe by design (safer than on-land reactors)

[xsnozskwg]

I love this. Obviously we have a lot of work to do with slashing carbon emissions but I feel this hits the sweet spot for being practical, optimistic, and not blinded by techno-optimism (except for with aviation) or the notion that someone else will do it for us.

[feikes]

Great video of showing the current options. It still leaves out our reorientation to traveling. You mentioned relying more on video calls to connect ourselves digitally over long distance. In my opinion traveling via shipping can be another solution. It currently takes around 7-9 days for a freighter to cross the Atlantic ocean from Europe to North America. A week of travel might seem long but if these travels are organized as a sort of ‘cruise light’ with work spaces and cheap accommodation it while also carrying regular freight along the way it might be the most carbon neutral mechanized travel possible. Currently traveling by freight ship is more expensive then traveling by plane and freight travel is still under the covid measures a lot of the time making it almost impossible to book such a trip. Besides this dedicated passanger travel across an ocean which are faster then freight is possible and can cut down travel by 4-5 days. Again great video and would love you to make a video about slow cross ocean travel!!!

[vigilantcosmicpenguin]

I love the use of video game graphics. Can't wait for the inevitable "How to Decarbonise Transport: The Game".

[StreetcarHammock]

I’m glad you mentioned carbon pricing. It seems insane to me we try everything policy-wise except for making those who pollute pay for the damage they cause.

[wiegraf]

City planners don't make cities, they just implement what they're briefed to do. This is why a lot of well known best practices are ignored when cities expand.

[dubious_potat]

Iceland is a great example of why we need to decarbonise transport. Iceland runs on 100% renewable energy but yet still has almost 3 times the average global carbon emissions per capita which is an absolute bruh moment.

[MrSam]

Was a great video to help out with. Mega City 7 is now fully powered by renewable power electrified public transport, cars and delivery. Still working on congestion though. (Loving the little Easter Eggs hidden about)