Over the last three decades freight transport by road as increased nearly three-fold in the European Union. This has caused serious environmental harm. Following the Kyoto Conference in December 1997, the EU accepted binding targets to reduce CO2 emissions. Achieving these targets in the freight sector will involve changing the way goods are transported and changing the modes used for goods transport. In Britain and Germany rail was privatised just prior to the election of new centre-left governments. This paper examines what the different actors (politicians, freight operators) in the two countries can learn from each other. It compares the distribution models of each and will demonstrate what steps need to be taken to develop more sustainable transport solutions. (A)
Abstract