Reduction of Environmental Pressure from Car Transport - Extended Summary

Chapter 2: The Factor 4/10 Concept in relation to Transport

Factor 4/10 compared with eco-efficiency

The Factor 4/10 Concept is about increasing the productivity in the utilisation of natural resources and materials (Weizsäcker et al., 1997). In that sense the Factor 4/10 Concept is quite similar to the concept of "eco-efficiency". Eco-efficiency is a general concept which does not define specific targets or objectives. Factor 4/10 can be regarded as a quantification of the eco-efficiency idea. In other words, it is about increasing the efficiency and/or reducing the total impact by a factor of 4 or a factor of 10, respectively, compared with the current situation.

Absolute reductions

Factor 4/10 can be interpreted in various ways. In this study we have chosen to see factor 4/10 as a target for absolute reductions in the consumption of resources and the environmental impact by factors of 4 (2030) and 10 (2050), compared with the current situation.

The reason for this is, among other things, that in a number of areas there will be a need for absolute reductions of the environmental impact – if the sustainability of the globe is to be preserved. Furthermore, the rich countries have special possibilities and obligations regarding reduction of the global environmental impact, e.g., in respect of the climate.

Delimitation: Car transport

The transport sector provides a number of essential services and outputs to the community, and it consists of subsectors such as goods and passenger transport, and transport by rail, sea and air. Chapter 2 discusses a number of different ways to perceive the sector's services. It has been decided to confine this study to transport of passengers by car, where the specific service is expressed as passenger-kilometres by car.

This means that the study focuses on the environmental impact from passenger transport expressed as passenger-kilometres, and the prospects of reducing this impact overall by a factor of 4 in year 2030 and a factor of 10 in year 2050. The aim of the analysis is, in particular, to show if the overall targets can be achieved whilst, at the same time, the demand for passenger-kilometres in the form we know today can be satisfied – and, if not, the departures that can conceivably be made to preserve mobility and accessability in the society.

Delimitation: Consumption of materials and energy, and emission of CO₂

A delimitation is also made as to the environmental problems considered. Transport causes a large number of environmental impacts at the local, regional, and global level. The impacts are associated with the individual parts of the transport system as well as with the traffic going on within the system.

In the Factor 4/10 line of thinking the focus is, primarily, on the overall resource input at the expense of deliberations concerning local and specific environmental matters.

This study focuses mainly on three overall environmental impacts from car transport:

	the total consumption of materials;
	the total consumption of energy; and
	the total emission of CO2,

all seen in a life-cycle perspective. The life-cycle consideration implies that resource inputs associated with the production, operation and disposal of the selected products and components are incorporated.

In addition, the study deals with emissions of NOx and HC and gives a qualitative description of a number of other environmental impacts.

The background for these interpretations and delimitations is stated in detail in Chapter 2. It should be noted that the defined targets should be regarded only as a framework for this analysis. They do not reflect the opinions of DMU or the Ministry of Environment & Energy as to what targets should, or should not, be pursued in practice.