Transportation vehicle operations in the united states contribute 32% of the nation's emissions of carbon dioxide and 7% of the world's emissions from energy use. Technical options to reduce emission rates exist, but policies to reduce emissions must recognize the fragmentation of responsibility for key transportation activities amongdiverse groups of decision makers and the need to coordinate their decision making. Policies to increase vehicle fuel efficiency affectdecisions by vehicle suppliers, transportation service suppliers, and those who demand transportation services. Policies to shift to alternative transportation fuels affect decisions by these decision makers, by fuel suppliers, and possibly by infrastructure developers as well. Projected long-term increases in the demand for transportation services will offset emission reductions from these policies unless service can be delivered by modes with lower emissions or demand growth can be managed, as in other sectors of the economy. Additional research is needed to determine the most effective demand management strategies. This paper appears in transportation research record no. 1267, Global warming: transportation and energy considerations 1990.
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