Economic history suggests that as people get richer, they increase their use of private transportation. Accordingly, rapid economic growth in a number of large emerging economies has recently been accompanied by an impressive acceleration in the demand for cars. Cars currently account for 6½ percent of global GHG emissions and a sizable share of oil consumption—for example, gasoline accounts for as much as 45 percent of oil consumption in the United States, one of the most gasoline-reliant economies. IMF, in a recent report, states that the global car fleet can increase from 0,5 billion 2000 to 2,9 billion 2050. Approximately 83% of the global increase will be in Emerging Markets. To sum up, cars could contribute significantly —and more than proportionately— to an increase in emissions from all sources that would have profound implications for climate change. The entire IMF report can be found at here.

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