Transportation and Global Climate Change: a Review and Analysis of the Literature

This is an electronic version of Publication No. DOT-T-97-03. Posted on the Internet December 1998

The following files are in Adobe Portable Document Format, "PDF." Please download Adobe Reader here, if needed.

• Transportation and Global Climate Change: a Review and Analysis of the Literature (cover) (6 KB)
• Disclaimer (5 KB)
• Foreword (15 KB)
• Table of Contents (21 KB)
• Table of Exhibits (18 KB)
• Chapter 1 (32 KB)
• Chapter 2 (65 KB)
• Chapter 3 (46 KB)
• Chapter 4 (52 KB)
• Chapter 5 (300 KB)
• Appendices (97 KB)

Abstract: This report provides a discussion of the relationship between transportation and global climate change, based on peer-reviewed literature and research findings. The report presents an overview of policy debates, scientific conclusions, unresolved issues, and strategies available as potential solutions. The principle focus of the report is to better identify an array of tools and highlight aspects of these tools that may be useful to DOT as it begins to develop a strategy for addressing the link between transportation and climate change.

The overall purpose of the report is to provide an overview of global climate change and review how transportation agencies may assist in reducing CO₂ and other greenhouse gas emissions from transportation sources. Federal, State, and local transportation and air quality agencies have already made advances toward attainment of the national ambient air quality standards, but have not yet pursued mitigation of greenhouse gases, since no legal/administrative approaches have yet become finalized.