External Costs in Inland Waterway Transport: An Analysis of External Cost Categories and Calculation Methods

Florian Hofbauer and Lisa-Maria Putz
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Florian Hofbauer: Department of Logistics, University of Applied Sciences Upper Austria, Wehrgrabengasse 1-3, 4400 Steyr, Austria
Lisa-Maria Putz: Department of Logistics, University of Applied Sciences Upper Austria, Wehrgrabengasse 1-3, 4400 Steyr, Austria

Sustainability, 2020, vol. 12, issue 14, 1-19

Abstract: Sustainable transport, such as using inland waterway transport (IWT), represents a major pillar of the European Green Deal to reduce global warming. To evaluate the different inland transport modes (road, rail, IWT), it is crucial to know the external costs of these modes. The goal of this paper is a critical review of external cost categories (e.g., accidents, noise, emissions) and external cost calculation methods of IWT to provide ideas for future research. We identified 13 relevant papers in a literature review dealing with external costs of IWT. In a meta-analysis, the papers were assigned to the seven external cost categories: accident, noise, congestion, habitat damage, air pollution, climate change and well-to-tank emissions. The most investigated external cost categories are climate change, air pollution and accidents. Two studies were identified as the major external cost calculation methods for IWT in the abstract. Our paper shows that the data basis of IWT is significantly lower than for road/rail. The measurement of energy consumption and related emissions of IWT needs to be qualitatively and quantitatively improved and brought up to the level of road traffic, to ensure an accurate comparison with other modes of transport.

Keywords: inland waterway transport; external costs; transport emissions; sustainability; sustainable freight transport; external cost calculation methods (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (8)

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