Call for Action

CO₂ Reduction for private households Guidelines - Mobility

Here are some guidelines on how to significantly impact our CO₂ emissions derived from transportation and mobility, which in Italy accounted for almost a quarter of national emissions in 2011. Of transport’s share of emissions, around 62% is from road passenger transport.

As individuals, we can choose a more sustainable way of moving around, together with embedding some practices in our daily lives, such as:

Keep car tires well inflated: a well-inflated tire guarantees less drag from the road and makes the car move with more ease, therefore, less fuel will be used to move around and less wear down of the tyres, making you save money from fuel and car maintenance. Check your tires pressure regularly! Based on Italian data, the amount of CO₂ emissions saved from just having the well-inflated tires could be up to 119kgCO₂/year, whereas economic savings derived from less fuel consumption is calculated around 5% of an average car’s annual fuel budget.
Do not travel with roof boxes/luggage racks when not needed: most cars are designed to be aerodynamic, so that the wind drag does not hinder the vehicle’s speed. Many use luggage boxes and racks that are set on car’s roofs to maximise luggage space. As these accessories critically worsen the car’s aerodynamics, it is better to take them away when they are not used. Data shows how roof luggage boxes significantly drag down the vehicle when running at more than 80 km/h, which translates in about 10-20% more fuel consumption.
Based on Italian data, for an average car, the CO₂ emissions saved by this action equals to about 15kgCO₂/year, around 10€/year.
Based on Italian data, for an average car, the CO₂ emissions saved by this action equals to about 15kgCO₂/year, around 10€/year.
Use car air conditioning less: air conditioning may consume up to 25% more fuel just for functioning. When outside temperature allows it and not running fast (driving in urban areas), better keep the windows open than turning on the AC.
Close car windows when running fast: when running fast (80km/h or faster), keeping the windows open creates drag and slows down the vehicle, thus decreasing its fuel efficiency; then it’s better to keep windows close and turn on AC to consume less fuel.
Use winter tires only when required: winter tires are heavier than usual ones, and thus increase fuel consumption. Use winter tires only when the weather requires it.
Consider using public transportation: In Italy, the great majority of people go to work by private car, and while progress in better vehicles have been made, it is nullified by the fact that many cars only have 1-2 passengers on average. Choosing public transportation over private cars results not only in less CO₂ emissions, but better urban life quality by less traffic and better air quality.
It has been estimated that a person who goes to work by car for 250 days/year and is 10km away from the working place, can spare 865kg of CO₂ per year, in addition to the money that would have been spent on fuel.
Another viable option is carpooling, that is sharing the car with others to fill it up. Parents could take turns into bringing their kids to school, as well as co-workers living close to each other.
It has been estimated that a person who goes to work by car for 250 days/year and is 10km away from the working place, can spare 865kg of CO₂ per year, in addition to the money that would have been spent on fuel.
Another viable option is carpooling, that is sharing the car with others to fill it up. Parents could take turns into bringing their kids to school, as well as co-workers living close to each other.

Topics covered

Energy sourcing and consumption; mobility carbon footprint

Relevance

This data is useful for the drafting of the “Vademecum for parents on sustainable behaviors to reduce CO2 emissions” (R1P8), a product of CHOICE