Convergence in road transport CO2 emissions in Europe

Abstract

In Europe the transport sector accounts for more than 27% of total CO2 emissions and, within this 22 sector, road transport is by far the largest polluter. This fact has placed road transport emissions 23 abatement firmly on the agenda of global alliances. In this paper, we examine the convergence in 24 road transport CO2 emissions per capita of a sample of 22 European Union countries over the period 25 1990-2014. Using different methodologies, we find evidence of conditional convergence during the 26 period under study, meaning that countries converge to one another but depending on certain 27 conditioning factors. Our results show that the convergence process is conditioned by factors such 28 as economic activity, fuel price and relative freight traffic. Further, some of these factors have a 29 significant effect on the speed of convergence, a result that may entail policy implications with regards 30 to the geographical impact of the European policies on climate change currently in place.