Individual Actions to Improve Transport Energy Efficiency

In 2002, Europe consumed approximately 15% of the world's energy, making it one of the largest energyconsuming regions of the world. Between 2000 and 2030, the energy consumption of the European Union is predicted to increase by 17%.

Within the EU economy, the share of energy consumed by the transportation sector increased from 22% in 1980 to 30% in 2000. By 2030, this sector is forecast to be responsible for 33% of total European energy consumption, even if the price of road fuels is predicted to continue to increase. In this regard, a Dutch researcher has observed the individual actions and intentions to improve the energy efficiency of transport in Europe.

To this end, he used data from three Special Eurobarometer Surveys1 performed in 1984, 1993, and 2002, which included questions on the reduction of energy use in transport. Despite the fact that these three surveys do not cover the same number of countries (due to the enlargement of the EU in 1986 and 1994), the author reports that they are comparable in many ways.

A comparison of these three surveys reveals that the share of respondents reporting that they have cut down on the use of car fuel decreased in many countries from 1984 to 2002. In 2002, this reduction was around 22%. In 2002, interviewees were also asked what else they had done to increase their energy efficiency in the transportation sector. In addition to the 22% of people reporting that they had cut down on the use of car fuel, 18% of the respondents claimed to have used public transport more often, 17% to have purchased a more efficient car, and 9% to have reduced travel. In 2002, the persons surveyed were again asked what they intended to do to reduce energy use in transport. 12% stated that they intended to cut down on car fuel use, which is much lower than the intention expressed in 1984 and 1993. In addition, in 2002, 12% stated that they intended to use public transport more, 18% to buy a more energy-efficient vehicle, and 6% to reduce their individual travel in order to reduce energy use in transport.

Overall, the 2002 survey reveals that 21% of the respondents have taken action regarding transport energy efficiency and intend to do more, 24% have taken action but do not intend to do more. In addition, 14% of the surveyed persons have not taken any action but intend to act to improve transport energy efficiency and 40% are disinterested (no action and no intention). The author compared this pattern with the one observed for energy efficiency in the home. He observed that regarding energy efficiency in the home, there are much fewer disinterested people (20%) and many more people who have acted but are not planning future actions (47%), in comparison to the transport efficiency sector.

The researcher further notes that actions and intentions are always higher within the respondents that are most likely to have a car (people with a high level of education and male individuals for example). In addition, he highlights that the behaviour of respondents varies across the Member States.

Overall, the authors suggest that these results could be a great help and an important starting point for addressing transport energy efficiency in future policies and programmes. In particular, the fact that few people have decreased or intend to decrease their individual travel may imply that the general public is still to be convinced that there is a need to take action.