Decarbonisation of Transport and Modal Split

A predominant section of world experts, policy-makers and the general public are concerned with the danger of climate change caused by great volumes of emissions which are potentially growing. These emissions are connected with the predicted growth of sectors of the economy with a high level of emissions (namely carbon dioxide). The European Union has organised a huge effort in science, research and development to decrease emissions based on the last frame programmes of R&D&I; joint technological initiatives with relevant sectors of the industry; legal groundwork, especially in road transport; incentives to markedly diminish the present 22% share of road transport in total emissions. It is clear that, despite some uncertainties due to the results of parallel research, and despite the development in progress not being known, e.g., what type of propulsion, based in principal on electric current from nuclear power stations being better (whether only network and batteries, or in addition hydrogen and fuel cells) should have the greatest energy or cost efficiency; the parallel effort assures incomparable benefits for future development. A great majority of the results of these activities should be usable even in other modes of transport, especially railways. The general description of expected results in the development of technologies have proved great expectations in changes in modal split in comparison with the recent position, with necessary changes in all future decades.