The Dieselgate scandal has put passenger car emissions in the public spotlight in Germany, but an even bigger road polluter – freight transport – remains a sideshow. Transporting goods by road, rail, waterways and air produces a third of Germany’s total transport emissions, and freight volumes are expected to grow rapidly in the years to come. The government now faces crucial decisions on how to cut freight emissions, because multi-billion-euro infrastructure investments will be needed to significantly lower its climate impact.
The CLEW dossier provides information on the role of freight transport in the energy revolution.