Transport is the only major sector in the EU where greenhouse gas emissions have increased since 1990, with road traffic responsible for most of the pollution.
Transport supports more than 10 million jobs and contributes about 5% of the EU’s gross domestic product, the European Environment Agency (EEA) said in a report published on Tuesday.
In 2023, transport produced roughly a third of the EU’s total greenhouse gas emissions, with road transport accounting for nearly three quarters of transport-related emissions, according to the agency’s “Sustainability of Europe’s mobility systems 2025” report.
Passenger cars made up around 72% of transport activity in Europe, while public transport has not significantly increased its share.
Road transport also remained heavily dependent on fossil fuels, which supplied more than 90% of the sector’s energy use.
Noise from transport continued to affect large numbers of people, with around 90 million in the EU exposed to harmful noise levels above established thresholds.
Rail ‘low-emission alternative’ but system remains fragmented
Rail travel was described as a low-emission and energy-efficient option compared with road transport, with lower greenhouse gas and air pollutant emissions, the European Environment Agency said.
However, Europe’s rail system remained fragmented, and limited cross-border integration continued to restrict its ability to compete with cars and planes, it added.
In freight, rail activity fell between 1995 and 2023, although demand is expected to increase in the coming decade.
Aviation and maritime transport are projected to make up a larger share of Europe’s transport emissions, with their combined contribution expected to rise from about a quarter of transport-related greenhouse gas emissions today to nearly half by 2050.
The report said policy measures including the EU Emissions Trading System — which puts a price on carbon emissions — and the new ETS2 scheme were among existing legislation intended to cover road transport, aviation and maritime.
