Land transport CO2 emissions and climate change: evidence from Cyprus

The land transport sector is one of the major emitters of CO2 and one of the hardest sectors to decarbonise. This study employs an environmentally-extended input-output model to conduct an economy-wide assessment of CO2 emissions in Cyprus, associated with a 22% increase in the final demand for the output of the sector by 2030. Model results indicate that the land transport sector creates the third highest (direct and indirect) CO2 emissions within Cyprus economy; for every 1 million euro increase in the final demand of the sector’s services and products, 407 additional tons of CO2 are emitted. Considering that temperature in Cyprus is projected to increase by up to 4.5–5°C by the end of the century, our findings highlight the importance of the land transport sector in the transition of Cyprus to a low-carbon economy and the urgency of implementing in-sector cost-effective decarbonisation strategies.