Material stock development of the transport sector in the city of Vienna

Andreas Gassner, Jakob Lederer and Johann Fellner

Journal of Industrial Ecology, 2020, vol. 24, issue 6, 1364-1378

Abstract: Societies aim to reduce primary raw material consumption, enhance waste recycling, and reduce waste disposal. In this regard, the circular‐economy concept has gained attention and is applied in policy papers, also on the urban level. However, to assess set targets and their achievement, a sound knowledge of anthropogenic material flows and stocks is required. The material turnover of transport systems has not been sufficiently investigated yet, although they have a significant impact on overall material turnover and have a high potential for making use of recycled construction materials. To close this gap, the present study investigates the anthropogenic stocks and flows related to an urban transport system, whereby both infrastructure and vehicles are included. A bottom‐up, multiyear material‐flow analysis was employed to calculate the material stock and the related input and output flows of Vienna's transport system for the period 1990–2015. The results indicate the increasing importance of more environmentally friendly modes of transport. The stock of motorized individual transport has increased in absolute terms since 1990, but the stock per capita remains unchanged at 34 t/cap, whereas the per capita stock of public transport (20 t/cap; +8%) and of non‐motorized individual transport (4 t/cap; +10%) has increased. However, the primary source of material consumption (>65%) is maintenance of infrastructure. This provides a potential for more circularity because outputs and inputs are equal in terms of mass and material. The study provides a systematic analysis for developing policy and management options for sustainable resource‐saving urban transport systems.

Date: 2020
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