1. Transportation and environmental assessment

1.1 Environmental issues for transport operators

The social balance sheet for transport is mixed, between economic and social benefits and nuisances. The main nuisances are accidents and damage to quality of life – noise and stress, pollution and respiratory problems, and climate change. These nuisances are under pressure in terms of safety, tranquillity and health. The strictly environmental balance sheet of transport is negative overall: consumption of space, mineral and energy resources, discharge of chemical pollutants and waste into natural environments, greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs) that contribute to global warming, etc. While transport is not the only contributor to these negative impacts on the environment, it is a significant and sometimes major contributor: accounting...