Abstract
Over two-thirds of greenhouse gases (GHG) emissions that contribute to climate change emanate from transport. This could double by 2050. With per capita emissions nearly twice the global average, South Africa ranks 13th globally on GHG emissions with road transport, directly and indirectly, accounting for 91.2% of total transport GHG emissions. It has been projected that by 2100, up to 100% increase in the country’s average temperature above the 20th century average rise. This has far-reaching implications, even for the transport sector. To decarbonise its transport sector, South Africa has committed to reducing its GHG emissions by 34% by 2020 and 42% by 2025, respectively, through pointed strategies and policies. However, efficient implementation of proposed measures and sufficient funding remain daunting challenges. Thus, this paper contends that adequate attention has not been paid to active transport in the country’s transport decarbonisation policy implementation despite its inclusion in policy statements. It then asserts that active transport is indispensable to South Africa’s achievement of its transport decarbonisation goals, especially when steps taken hitherto seem ineffective. Consequently, the right attitudes, regulatory instruments, and policy initiatives towards the promotion of active transport are recommended.
Highlights
THE TRANSPORT AND CLIMATE INTERFACETransport accounts for about a quarter of global energy-related carbon emissions, and this contribution is rising faster than for any other energy end-use sector
Motorised transport emissions have become a significant contributor to the global problem of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions that lead to climate change
South Africa has committed to reducing its GHG emissions by 34% by 2020 and 42% by 2025, relative to a ‘business-as-usual’ baseline
Summary
Transport accounts for about a quarter of global energy-related carbon emissions, and this contribution is rising faster than for any other energy end-use sector. If the current trends in emissions continue, their impacts by the end of this century are projected to include a global average temperature that is between 2.6 and 4.8°C higher than what it is presently, and sea levels 4582 cm higher than present as well. The transport sector is both the culprit and the victim of climate change This is because the far-reaching impacts of climate change are diverse; intense droughts and floods, heat waves, thawing permafrost and sea-level rise, which could damage such transport infrastructure as roads, railways, airports and seaports, requiring extensive adaptation and changes to route planning in some cases. Even air transport is not immune to the consequences of climate change impacts on the transport sector as more storms in some regions of the world may increase the number of weather-related delays and cancellations. It is such that activities in the transport sector invariably have far-reaching implications for the climate, and changes in climate impact significantly on the transport sector
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