The Sustainable Development Foundation has provided technical support for the publication “UIC/IEA Railway Handbook 2013 – Energy Consumption and CO2 Emissions”.

The research, recently published by the International Union of Railways (UIC) in collaboration with the International Energy Agency (IEA), displays a collection of data for energy consumption and carbon dioxide emissions of the transport sector and of railways in particular.

The results have been presented at the Warsaw United Nations climate change conference (COP19) in November 2013. The Handbook contains data at world level, at EU level and for selected countries: United States, Japan and BRICS nations (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa). The publication also contains a “special focus” on the energy mix used by the railways and the transport sector.

A few main facts featured in the publication:

– Railways represent 9% of world transport and only 3% of transport emissions;

– From 2000 to 2010, railway energy consumption and CO2 emissions per passenger-km dropped by more than 30%;

– One-third of the energy used by railways comes from electricity.

Download: Railway Handbook 2013 – Energy Consumption and CO2 Emissions