Scenarios for the Development of CO2 Emissions from Households’ Own Transportation

Abstract

We assess the development of greenhouse gas emissions from households’ own transport, mainly motoring, up until 2050. The share of electric cars in new registrations has recently started to increase markedly, so the outlook in this respect has clearly changed from a couple of years ago. We make three scenarios for the development of the average emissions of newly registered passenger cars, use historical development in setting the future scrapping rate and average age of the car fleet, and take into account the increase in the obligation to mix biofuels in the 2020s.

According to the scenarios, the development of greenhouse gas emissions caused by households’ own transport will support the achievement of Finland’s national carbon neutrality target relatively well providing current development continues. In the baseline scenario, emissions will decrease by a total of 45 per cent between 2008 and 2030. The rate of decline is accelerating all the time as the emissions of newly registered cars decrease and the old car fleet with clearly higher emissions is scrapped.

However, the development should be supported by ensuring adequate construction of households’ own and public electric-vehicle-charging infrastructure. In addition, household choices could be influenced, for example, by steepening the CO2 progression of car and vehicle taxes, which would increase household incentives to switch to lower-emission cars. At a minimum, at least inflation adjustments must also be made in the taxation of car ownership and use.

Publication info

Research group
Macroeconomy and public finances
Series
ETLA Muistio - ETLA Brief 99
Date
15.09.2021
Keywords
CO2 emissions, Passenger cars, Transportation
ISSN
2323-2463
JEL
D12, Q54
Pages
6
Language
Finnish