Live a sustainable life
Trains and cars also leave footprints: Grey energy
20.10.2020
Do you want to get around in an environmentally conscious way? Various factors have to be taken into account here – in particular the hidden energy consumption, known as “grey energy”.
Transport is the largest source of greenhouse gases in Switzerland: According to the Swiss Federal Statistical Office, 40% of CO2-Discharge to his account. It comes as no surprise that many people are wondering what kind of mobility they use to make the least impact on the environment. If you compare different modes of transport, for example on quarks.de, the following CO2-Quantities together:
Aircraft: 21kg
Mid-range petrol car: 19kg
Mid-range diesel cars: 16kg
Mid-range electric car (calculated using the average German electricity mix): 12kg
Trains such as IC and ICE: 4kg
Long-distance bus: 2kg
So everything’s clear?
No. It is very important to be aware of the emissions that occur when operating a means of transport. But in addition to the direct emissions of vehicles, there is also the indirect, hidden energy consumption that occurs – so-called “grey” energy.
How is “grey energy” created?
Grey energy is generated in different ways: in the extraction of raw materials, in the manufacture of products, their transport, packaging, storage, sale and disposal, as well as in the provision of services. So there is basically nothing that does not cause grey energy. And it makes up a large part of the cake: According to the Swiss Energy Foundation, they account for two thirds of the energy consumption of the average Swiss household.
What does this mean for traffic?
For the exact calculation of the environmental footprint of a means of transport, therefore, not only the emissions during use are included. It should also include the energy required to manufacture and dispose of vehicles, to build and maintain traffic routes (roads, rail networks, tunnels), to control these routes (e.g. through traffic lights or signal boxes) and to operate the infrastructure (railways and airports).
For example, the “Schweizerische Handelszeitung” calculated that for the construction of the 170-kilometre train line between Cologne and Frankfurt, 84,000 tonnes of CO2 may have occurred. And for the steel and concrete required for the 47-kilometre stretch of tunnel, even more than 860,000 tonnes. According to the authors, this means that even after 35 years of use and 500 million passengers, emissions of 4 to 6 kg of CO would still remain2 per capita and journey.
What to do?
As you can see, it’s not so easy to keep track of mobility and environmental friendliness. But you are already doing a lot if you often use public transport and/or your bicycle, rarely fly, use cars under the sharing model, drive your own cars for as long as possible and, if possible, opt for electric cars over petrol or diesel when purchasing a new one. A CO2-Offsetting helps to capture generated emissions again in the future.
Save CO2 with Mobility
At Mobility, thanks to our partnership with the myclimate foundation, you can2-Offset emissions. Let’s travel sustainably together!