Electric driverless vehicles could reduce decarbonisation gap by third

23rd March 2018


Web carcharging istock 884223942

Related Topics

Related tags

  • Technology ,
  • Transport ,
  • Global

Author

Mahmoud Hashish

Autonomous Electric Vehicles (A-EVs) could bridge approximately one-third of the gap between current decarbonisation rates and those needed to limit global warming to 2˚C.

That is according to a new report from PwC, which also reveals that A-EVs are likely to cause a reduction in oil demand relative to current trends, and have a noticeable impact on global carbon intensity.

However, the scale at which they will influence decarbonisation efforts varies under a range of different scenarios, demonstrating a lack of consensus on how the technology could impact the economy.

“It is clear that the future for vehicles is autonomous and electric,” PwC assistant director of climate change, Lit Ping Low, said. “A-EVs could drive a swift and substantial shift towards achieving the Paris Agreement’s 2˚C objective.

“But the range of uncertainties and possibilities remain wide, and they come with potential risks of disruption to business and the economy. There are likely to be winners and losers as A-EVs are increasingly deployed.”

A-EVs use artificial intelligence, next-generation batteries and other fourth industrial technologies, all of which help can help contribute to greenhouse gas emission reductions in the transport sector.

BP, Wood Mackenzie and Bloomberg New Energy Finance forecast a reduction in oil demand from A-EVs of between 5 and 10 million barrels per day against ‘business as usual’ scenarios over the next 25 years.

However, RethinkX believe the reduction could be as high as 40 million barrels by 2030 as a result of less people owning vehicles and instead moving towards Transportation as a service (TaaS).

PwC argue that rapid policy reforms are likely to be necessary for this to come to fruition, while low-carbon incentives, changing transport habits and new emission standards will also be needed.

“It’s vital that businesses start preparing by understanding how A-EV deployment can affect their operations,” Ping Low continued.

“While improvements in technology are key drivers, policy development and consumer behaviour will be equally vital over the next 10 years in determining whether A-EVs play a starring role in the low-carbon transition.”

Image credit: iStock

Subscribe

Subscribe to IEMA's newsletters to receive timely articles, expert opinions, event announcements, and much more, directly in your inbox.


Transform articles

Facing the climate emergency challenge in local government

It’s well recognised that the public sector has the opportunity to work towards a national net-zero landscape that goes well beyond improving on its own performance; it can also influence through procurement and can direct through policy.

19th March 2024

Read more

The UK government’s carbon capture, usage and storage (CCUS) strategy is based on optimistic techno-economic assumptions that are now outdated, Carbon Tracker has warned.

13th March 2024

Read more

The UK’s new biodiversity net gain (BNG) requirements could create 15,000 hectares of woodlands, heath, grasslands, and wetlands and absorb 650,000 tonnes of carbon each year.

13th March 2024

Read more

The UK government’s latest Public Attitudes Tracker has found broad support for efforts to tackle climate change, although there are significant concerns that bills will rise.

13th March 2024

Read more

Multinational corporations are undermining their net-zero commitments with excessive air travel and no plans to reduce ‘the low hanging fruit’ of carbon footprints, a study by Transport & Environment has found.

13th March 2024

Read more

The UK government’s climate adaptation plans are ‘inadequate’ and falling ‘far short’ of what is required, the Climate Change Committee (CCC) has warned today.

13th March 2024

Read more

Large businesses across the world are avoiding climate action due to fear they will be called out for getting their work wrong, according to a new Carbon Trust report.

29th February 2024

Read more

A thought-provoking discussion on how storytelling can change the world took place in Central London last night, alongside an exclusive sneak preview of an upcoming IEMA film series.

29th February 2024

Read more

Media enquires

Looking for an expert to speak at an event or comment on an item in the news?

Find an expert

IEMA Cookie Notice

Clicking the ‘Accept all’ button means you are accepting analytics and third-party cookies. Our website uses necessary cookies which are required in order to make our website work. In addition to these, we use analytics and third-party cookies to optimise site functionality and give you the best possible experience. To control which cookies are set, click ‘Settings’. To learn more about cookies, how we use them on our website and how to change your cookie settings please view our cookie policy.

Manage cookie settings

Our use of cookies

You can learn more detailed information in our cookie policy.

Some cookies are essential, but non-essential cookies help us to improve the experience on our site by providing insights into how the site is being used. To maintain privacy management, this relies on cookie identifiers. Resetting or deleting your browser cookies will reset these preferences.

Essential cookies

These are cookies that are required for the operation of our website. They include, for example, cookies that enable you to log into secure areas of our website.

Analytics cookies

These cookies allow us to recognise and count the number of visitors to our website and to see how visitors move around our website when they are using it. This helps us to improve the way our website works.

Advertising cookies

These cookies allow us to tailor advertising to you based on your interests. If you do not accept these cookies, you will still see adverts, but these will be more generic.

Save and close