Focus

Climate policy in transport

© plainpicture / Johannes Pfahler

Establishing a sustainable, low-carbon transport sector requires a strategic, planned and effective approach in climate policy. To achieve continuous reductions in transport sector emissions and meet the targets set in the Federal Climate Change Act, more ambitious measures are needed, beyond those currently defined at the political level. The key climate policy instruments for the transport sector – such as the promotion of e-mobility, public transport, walking and cycling; ambitious carbon pricing; a CO2 component in the motor vehicle tax and truck toll; and reforms to the commuting allowance – must be aligned, coordinated and flexible in design.

The Oeko-Institut is working intensively to identify climate policy solutions for the transport sector. Its researchers define the benefits and barriers to new and reformed policy instruments, assess the impacts of government funding schemes on the sector’s carbon footprint, and put forward practical proposals for the development of rules, taxes and surcharges. In doing so, they build on their collaboration with climate policy stakeholders and promote an equitable approach that benefits diverse demographic groups.

News

Infographics

  • Infographic from Öko-Institut e.V. titled "What does socially just climate protection mean?" showing strategies for sustainable, socially acceptable climate protection. Central box labeled "Socially Just Climate Protection" connects to three approaches:  Income support (short-term):  Includes transfer payments, climate dividends, and energy payments.  Price adjustments (short-term):  Includes CO₂ levy, reduction of renewable energy levy, and modernization levy.  Reduction in energy consumption and emissions (long-term and lasting):  Split into two areas:  Energy efficiency / renewable energies: building renovation, heating system replacement, climate-friendly mobility.  Behaviour / use: energy-saving advice and sufficiency.  Silhouettes of diverse people are shown at the bottom, representing the inclusive impact of these measures.

    What does socially just climate protection mean?

    Image10/21/2025
    What does socially just climate protection mean? Support for the transition to climate-friendly alternatives is the most important lever for shaping sustainable, socially acceptable climate protection.
  • The twelve largest chemical parks in German industry

    Image07/08/2024
    The twelve largest German chemical parks generated 23 million tonnes of CO2 (mt CO2) in 2022, which corresponds to three percent of German greenhouse gas emissions.
  • Coastal Ecosystems: Blue Carbon Storage

    Image05/29/2024
    Seagrass meadows, mangrove forests and salt marshes can absorb and store up to 216 million tons of carbon from the atmosphere worldwide every year. Over centuries to millennia, they form an enormous carbon store of up to 22,000 million tons of carbon in marine sediment. At the same time, they make an important contribution to the preservation of biodiversity in the oceans and on the coasts, help to protect against storm surges and coastal protection and thus contribute to the nutrition and safety of millions of people. This is shown in a research report by the Öko-Institut and the Leibniz Center for Tropical Marine Research commissioned by the German Environment Agency, which examines the importance of coastal ecosystems for global climate protection.