Selection

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This table includes additional information to the above visualized indicators, i.e. a short definition of this indicator and a description of the politically determined target values as well as explaining the political intention behind selecting this indicator.

Definition (Text from the Indicator Report 2022 - State 31.10.2022)

Final energy consumption in goods transport represents the energy consumption for the carriage of goods within Germany via inland shipping, by rail and by road.
Target and intention (Text from the Indicator Report 2022 - State 31.10.2022)

Transport creates a range of problems. For instance, noise and air pollution impair quality of life, especially in cities, and traffic-related emissions contribute to climate change. The emission of harmful greenhouse gases is closely linked to the energy consumed for transport purposes.
The aim is to reduce final energy consumption in goods transport by 15 to 20 % by 2030 compared to 2005.
Definition

The indicator shows the development of final energy consumption for the domestic transport of goods by inland waterway, rail and road compared to the base year 2015.
Intention

Transport brings with it a number of problems. For example, noise and air pollutants affect the quality of life, particularly in cities, and transport-related emissions contribute to climate change. The emission of harmful greenhouse gases (GHG) is closely linked to the energy consumed in transport.
Target

Reduction by 15 to 20 per cent by 2030 compared to 2015
Type of target

Goal with a specific target value
Implemen­tation in weather symbol calculation

Final energy consumption in freight transport is to be reduced to a maximum of 85 per cent of the 2015 level by 2030.

Based on the target formulation, for targets without an exact target value but with a target interval, the weakest target requirement (here: reduction to 85 per cent of the 2015 value) is regarded as the minimum politically defined target to be met. Indicator 11.2.a has developed in the desired direction on average over the last six years. If the trend continues, the minimum requirement of 85 per cent will just be achieved. Indicator 11.2.a is rated as “Sun” for the year 2023.
Assessment

Weathersymbol: Sun
Data state

21.05.2025

Text from the Indicator Report 2022 

This indicator represents the final energy consumption (FEC) attributable to the transport of goods. Final energy refers to the energy directly used in transport, such as petrol or diesel fuel. Transformation losses during fuel production as well as potential transmission losses are not taken into account. Data on domestic transport-related FEC originate from the Transport Emission Model (TREMOD) database of the Institute for Energy and Environmental Research (ifeu). TREMOD is a model designed to assess transport emissions. Fuel consumption within Germany is recorded regardless of where refuelling takes place.

The same model also provides data on freight transport performance. Air freight is excluded due to its comparatively small share. Because the indicator is defined to cover only domestic FEC, the effects of increasing international interconnections of the German economy within the context of globalisation are inadequately reflected.

The politically established target for this indicator is to reduce final energy consumption in freight transport by 15% to 20% from 2005 to 2030.

In addition to energy consumption, energy efficiency is also presented, defined as energy consumption per tonne-kilometre. The number of tonne-kilometres provides insight into how transport performance – that is, the amount of freight transported in tonnes multiplied by the distance travelled in kilometres – has changed.

In 2023, the FEC caused by freight transport amounted to 26.1%1 of total final energy consumption in the transport sector.

In 2023, FEC in freight transport fell below the 2005 level for the first time since 2013, showing a decline of 1.3%. Combined with an increase in freight transport performance of 94 billion tonne-kilometres compared to 2005, this resulted in a significant efficiency improvement of 15.4% in 2023 relative to 2005. If the recent trend continues, the minimum reduction target of 15% compared to 2005 by 2030 is likely to be narrowly achieved.

Road freight transport’s FEC in 2023 was approximately at the 2005 level (+0.3%). In contrast, energy consumption for freight transport by rail and inland waterways decreased substantially (–7.1% and –39.8%, respectively).

During the global financial and economic crisis in 2009, inflation-adjusted gross value added in the manufacturing sector declined sharply by almost 20%. This significant downturn particularly impacted the transport sector, which directly responds to fluctuations in goods production. The resulting lower utilisation of transport capacities explains the slight increase in average energy consumption per tonne-kilometre, despite the overall substantial decline in absolute energy consumption during the crisis years.

Following the crisis, the transport industry recovered rapidly. After freight performance in 2009 nearly fell to the 2005 level, it had already risen by 8.2% by 2010. By 2015, the pre-crisis level of 2008 had been surpassed, and the increase continued with 12.8% growth until 2019 compared to 2010. Since energy consumption during this period increased by only 8.5%, this resulted in an efficiency improvement of 3.8%. In the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, this trend reversed: energy consumption declined by 2.8% compared to 2019, and freight volume dropped by 3.8%. The impact of the pandemic on freight transport was thus less severe than in passenger transport (see Indicator 11.2.b). Overall, freight transport experienced a slight efficiency deterioration of 1.0%.

1 The sum of the shares of freight transport (Indicator 11.2.a) and passenger transport (Indicator 11.2.b) in total final energy consumption in transport does not equal 100%. This discrepancy is due to different delimitations of energy consumption in passenger and freight transport (domestic consumption; source: TREMOD) and total final energy consumption in transport (domestic sales; source: AG Energiebilanzen).