TRF Bookblock 01.09.22

This is particularly true because only part of the emissions from transport comes from the vehicles themselves – the so-called “tailpipe emissions.” We must also consider the embodied energy and emissions of vehicle manufacturing, as well as the embodied and operating energy of transport infrastructure – the streets, bridges, rail lines, signals, and other elements of the system. [...] The steadily increasing trend in fuel consumption from 2010 to 2019 is disrupted in 2020, which is most likely the result of the pandemic that started in the beginning of 2020 and continued through 2021, though it showed signs of waning with the development and deployment of vaccines during 2021. [...] On the contrary, there are all the reasons to believe it may have even increased because of the recommendations given by the health authorities in many countries not to use public transport to avoid the spreading of the virus. [...] 1.2 WHY IT IS IMPORTANT TO REDUCE EMISSIONS FROM LAND TRANSPORT Despite the fact that the negative impacts of air pollution on the environment (both local and global) are well known by the majority of people, and even directly perceived by many, there is still a minority of people and governments all over the world that are not fully aware of the consequences of it. [...] In these cities, the implementation of massive campaigns promoting the use of the bicycle and its associated health and environmental benefits have resulted in a significant increase in the number of people starting to bike and that have started to consider the bicycle a valid and healthy mode of transportation.