Travel pollution rates from the best to the worst
The figures below show the lowest to the highest polluting modes of travel and the amount of carbon emissions each type of vehicle produces per passenger kilometre: a measurement that is equivalent to transporting a passenger over a distance of one kilometre.
Best of all: 0kg carbon emission per passenger kilometre
- Walking = 0kg
- Cycling = 0kg
Good: under 50g carbon emission per passenger kilometre
- National rail = 0.0351kg
- Small car Electric Vehicle, driver only = 0.04519 kg
Needs improvement: between 50g and 100g per passenger kilometre
- Large car Electric Vehicle, driver only = 0.06004 kg
- Medium motorbike petrol = 0.08094kg
Poor: between 100g and 200g per passenger kilometre
- Diesel Bus = 0.10144kg
- Small car diesel driver only = 0.1357kg
- Small car petrol driver only = 0.14878 kg
- Medium car diesel driver only = 0.16308 kg
- Medium car petrol driver only = 0.18717 kg
- Small car hybrid – driver only = 0.10386kg
- Large car hybrid – driver only 0.14993kg
Very poor: over 200g per passenger kilometre
- Large car diesel driver only = 0.20533 kg
- Large car petrol driver only = 0.27841 kg.
Data source: BEIS Greenhouse Gas Conversion Factors 2021, Scope 3. For full details, please see: Government conversion factors for company reporting of greenhouse gas emissions (GOV.UK)
