‘Car dependency’ undermines good environmental performance

Portugal has one of the lowest per capita greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in Europe and generates a ‘high amount’ of renewable energy – but this performance is undermined by its “heavy reliance on cars”, says data via the Pordata statistics database to mark World Environment Day.

“In a world where GHG emissions must be reduced, for which transport is one of the main culprits (in Portugal, it is the main one), the country has succumbed to the car: from 1990 to 2023, the use of public transport fell from 29% to 12%, whilst car use rose from 72% to 88%, says Lusa, citing the report published by the Francisco Manuel dos Santos Foundation – and meaning that ‘while Portugal shows some positive indicators in the environmental picture, the overall picture is marred by a dependence on cars’.

The reality, as most car drivers will explain if asked, is prompted by the country’s abysmal public transport coverage, especially in rural areas. But neither Lusa nor the Francisco Manuel dos Santos Foundation refer to this.

Instead, the mantra is that “data from 2023 indicates that 88.2% of passenger kilometres are travelled by car (the third-highest figure in the EU). Meanwhile, kilometres travelled by those using buses account for just 7.5%, and by train 4.2%, half the European average.”

Again, there is a reason for this: train and bus schedules are such, where they exist, that people need their own means of transport to efficiently run their lives.

But, back to ‘the data’: from 1990 to 2024, the number of cars in Portugal more than tripled, rising from one car per five people to one per two people.

Further data on cars shows that in 2024, over 40,000 new electric cars were sold in Portugal, accounting for 20% of the total, and exceeding the European average (13.5%).

Despite the figures on electric cars, transport in Portugal still accounts for 34.4% of emissions (2024 data) – the fourth-highest figure in the EU – with around 20% of national emissions linked to the combustion of petrol and diesel.

This data indicates that, although Portugal is the third-lowest country in emissions per capita (surpassed only by Sweden and Malta), it was the third-lowest in reducing emissions between 1990 and 2024.

Other data released today indicates that, in 2024, in Portugal, the main sources of final energy consumption (by households, industry and transport) were petroleum products (42.9%), electricity (26.4%), renewables (19.5%) and natural gas (10.2%).

In terms of renewable energy consumption, Portugal ranks 6th in the EU and is above the European average.

Portuguese households account for a smaller share of energy consumption than the European average.

According to figures, households rely mainly on grid electricity (43.2%) and renewable sources (36.7%), while the European average relies mainly on natural gas (29.7%) and electricity (26.6%).

Portugal is among four EU countries where more than 95% of energy production comes from renewable sources.

This year’s World Environment Day focuses on climate change – with Azerbaijan hosting global celebrations.

The date marks June 5, 1974, when the United Nations Conference on the Human Environment (Stockholm Conference) began, the first major UN meeting on the environment.

source material: LUSA