CO2 emissions from traffic

Industry, due to power plants and factories, creates a lot of emissions. Swiss transport, however, contributes an even larger proportion of climate-affecting emissions to climate change.

The transport sector is sub-divided into public transport, flight traffic, non-motorised traffic, and motorised private transport (road traffic). Swiss people travel by car for 56 percent of their trips, 19 percent by public transport and 18 percent by plane.

Transport energy requirements (e.g. diesel, petrol and kerosene) are mainly met through climate-damaging oil products. Overall, the transport sector contributes 40 percent of the Swiss greenhouse gas emissions. "The main polluters" are air traffic and road traffic. Public transport causes comparatively low emissions.

On average, Swiss people travel 31 kilometres per day, 45 percent (or 16.6 km) of which is recreational travel, a further 8.7 kilometres are travelled commuting, 4.3 kilometres are travelled for shopping and 1.5 kilometres for education.

The regularity of journeys, the choice of transport or vehicle and the number of passengers per vehicle are key factors with regard to greenhouse gas emissions caused by transport.

Air transport and motorised individual road traffic are very climate-intensive. Public transport, on the other hand, performs much better with regard to greenhouse emissions per passenger kilometre. For all forms of transport the occupancy rate has a very strong effect on the CO2 emissions per head.

Source: BAFU 2006a

Short flights are more climate-intensive than long-haul flights, as processes independent from the length of the flight, such as lift-off and landing, have a larger effect.