Summary

Knowledge about the implications of climate change on the economy is highly important for national and international governments as these implications may be far reaching. One of the economic sectors that is thought to be sensitive to climate circumstances is the transport sector (freight and passengers). Regarding freight transport, project A08 focuses on the inland waterway transport sector in North West Europe. It is likely that climate change will affect the navigability of the inland waterways. Consequently, inland waterway transport prices rise in periods with low water levels in rivers, leading to welfare losses. Transport flows seem to adapt to the increase in transport prices by shifting a part of the inland waterway cargo to competing transport modes. Concerning passenger transport, climate change is expected to strongly affect transport demand, with commuting and business trips being least affected. In addition, weather conditions influence the travel time of commuting trips, both by car and public transport. The resulting welfare costs can be rather substantial during peak hours in congested areas. Last, the results indicate that weather conditions influence mode choice decisions for all kind of trips.

Read more: synthesis report
Contact: project A08