Pathways to Sustainable Road Transport: A Mosaic of Solutions

Road transport is fundamental to economic growth and improved living standards, enabling trade and social interaction through the movements of goods and people. This paper is a case study of Shell which is an internationally renound oil company and most of its products enable some form of mobility. This includes the fuels which power vehicles like petrol, diesel and biofuels. It is therefore critical that Shell anticipates, leads and evolves with the development in the road transport sector. A major role has to be played in developing a more sustainable road transport system. The challenge of road transport is to restrict the sources of green house gases and energy-related carbon dioxide emissions. Road Transport accounts for 17% of global energy use. By 2050 the global car numbers will be 2 billion and number of trucks will also double. This will see a surge in demand of fuel consumption and carbon dioxide emissions.

Governments throughout the world are introducing ambitious CO2 reduction targets for which there is no single solution. The internal combustion engines which run on liquid fuel for over 100 years will continue to be indispensable. Therefore vehicle manufacturers will have to improve engine efficiency of vehicles so that they can operate on low carbon fuel blend and gas to liquid fuels. A major shift will be that three quarters of the population will shift to cities which already account for 80% of the CO2 emissions. In 2010, oil demand increased by 3% and global energy demand will triple by 2050. If the historical patterns of development continues then energy system will struggle to meet the surging demand. This will bring about a substantial increase in greenhouse gas emissions so the future lies in working out a more sustainable energy system as there is a significant need to reduce CO2 emissions keeping the global temperature rise to below 2 degree centigrade in order to impact the worst impacts of climate change. These targets are driving demand for greater efficiency and for renewable sources of energy. The Shell scenarios team estimate that renewable energy sources such as wind, solar could supply as much as 30% of the global energy by 2050 as compared with 13% of today. The increasing impetus of renewable energy use is in the road transport sector as it accounts for 17% of the global energy. The drive train journeys have to be identified and depending on the distance traveled the fuel will be decided whether it will be hydrocarbon fuel, bio fuels, hydrogen , electricity or natural gas or LNG. Smarter fuels mean different energy requirements of different people. Engines have to be downsized, vehicle size and weight has to be reduced and alternative technology of electricity and hydrogen fuel cells have to be developed. Conventional hydrocarbon fuel requirements have to be increasingly mixed with other fuel components to diversify supply and reduce emissions. Results have shown that gas oils /natural gas in compressed form when used has made a major contribution to the better air quality.

The use of road transport has to be logically reduced. This will have an impact on reduction of carbon dioxide generation. Video Conferencing can reduce movements. Peak traffic hours can be staggered by different work timings. Cost of making smarter choices in transportation will also improvise the system. More usage of hydrogen Fuel Cell Technology, Gas, Electricity and better designed engines can bring down carbon emissions, even driving habits need to be improved to Eco-Driving. Cost is often a significant determinant of choice so cost of alternate energies should be competitive. Fuel providers can also work directly with customers, partners and governments to help moderate their energy usage. Products including more energy efficient fuels as well as services, such as driver education initiatives, will have a significant impact on energy consumption. Government should also incentivize behavioral change through financial mechanism through vehicle taxation, road tolls and congestion charging. Direct intervention is the most effective way to bring about changes in consumer behavior. A look has to be done to the future of exciting mobility possibilities. Changes have to be made today for a better tomorrow.