Sustain Our Earth

MORE than half the world's oil supply is used for transport, and three-quarters of the energy used in transport is spent on the road.  

But without new policies to spur efficiency, the amount of fuel used for road transport will double by 2050, with severe implications for carbon-dioxide (CO2) emissions.

Most of the technologies needed to improve fuel economy are already available and cost-effective, so what is needed are policies that steer businesses and consumers in the right direction.

Fuel-economy standards, taxes, CO2-based vehicle taxes, and better product labelling are the four key policies recommended by the IEA. To judge the extent to which countries have adopted these, the IEA has created a fuel-economy readiness index (see map). Many advanced countries, especially in Europe and Japan, already have the right policies in place, whereas in North America there is still room for improvement.