Banning short flights and replacing them with train journeys lasting less than two and a half hours.coup temperate” Because aviation is responsible for reducing CO2 emissions, only 3% of total emissions on the planetAccording to a study by the Open University of Catalonia.
Substitution of flights for train journeys
UOC study published in the journal ‘case Transportation Studies Policy’points out that the measure will also have implications in terms of investment in high-speed infrastructure and loss of travel time.
The starting point of the study is the French government’s decision to ban short-term flights, which are the railway alternatives shorter than two and a half hours, in order to reduce CO2 emissions and combat climate change.
The researchers analyzed what the impact of the measure would be in Germany. and, if implemented, would have a “moderate impact on emissions reductions” while warning of the implications for high-speed infrastructure in terms of loss of investment and travel time.
International connection issues
However, “we have to be very realistic about the expectations that can be produced by these measures because ultimately Aviation is responsible for only 3% of the planet’s total emissions.“. For the researcher, the measure should be “selective” and “analyzed on a case-by-case basis”.
“Our study estimates a potential reduction in CO2 emissions of between 2.7% and 22%, depending on how stringent the substitution of flights is,” said Pere Suau-Sanchez, UOC professor of Economics and Business Studies.
“Making general short-term flight ban policies with equal thresholds for all airports, international connectivity issues, especially in the most peripheral areasand even more polluting can force longer journeys,” argued the expert.
To determine which flights can be changedThe researchers analyzed 87 routes in Germany and calculated alternatives to short-haul flights.
long trips
The research also took into account: all routes of passengers to assess the impact of potential cancellations on long-term travel. Most travelers using short routes use it as an intermediate step for an international connection..
“On average 17 percent of bookings for these types of flights are in Asia-Pacific and Research says 24% and 25% for the Latin American and US markets, respectively.
The report also highlights: Changing short-haul flights would mean an increase of 4% to 13% of rail network users compared to 2019 data.“will require significant improvement in the speeds, capacities and multimodal integration of the high-speed rail network.”
“These investments in infrastructure also Increase in CO2 emissions which should be taken into account when evaluating the measures”.