Environmental aspects of intermodal transport

Book chapter, 2017

This chapter looks at the environmental aspects of intermodal transport. It concerns the actual movement of goods. The chapter focuses on emission to air of pollutants and greenhouse gases. A lot can be said about the different environmental concerns related to intermodal transport. Today, the contribution to extensive global warming through the emissions of greenhouse gases, most importantly carbon dioxide (CO2) but also methane, nitrous oxide and other substances, is most in focus. CO2 from biofuels is usually not considered a contributor to global warming, because CO2 was taken from the air to grow the biomass. The total emission of CO2 equivalents in the European Union (EU-28) countries in 2014 was about 4 billion t. The emission of air pollutants is another concern. There are a number of substances that contribute to environmental problems and to health risks. The first EU emission standards for heavy-duty road vehicles came in 1992, and the latest came into force in 2013.