The fall in the share of green freight transport in the EU has reached a historic low
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According to fresh data from Eurostat, the share of rail and inland waterways in EU freight transport in 2023 is only 21.9 per cent. This is 4.6 per cent lower than the peak of 26.5 per cent in 2012. Since then, the figure has fallen almost continuously, losing ground to road transport.
The growth in the share of road transport by the same 4.6% reflects a long-term trend that runs counter to the sustainable development goals of reducing emissions and developing environmentally friendly modes of transport. Railways and inland waterways, traditionally cleaner and more energy efficient, are losing competitiveness against the flexibility and speed of road transport.
Experts emphasise that reversing the trend requires large-scale investments in modernising transport infrastructure, digitalising logistics and encouraging companies to use more sustainable modes of transport. Without this, the EU risks failing to fulfil its own climate commitments, including under Sustainable Development Goal 9 - Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure.
