Air transport emits up to 75 times more CO2 than sea transport per tonne transported

Airplanes are the most carbon-intensive means of cargo, while ships have the lowest emissions per tonne-kilometre.
Moving goods is an essential activity for the global economy, but not all means of transport have the same climate impact. When comparing the amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) emitted for each ton of cargo transported over one kilometer, the differences between an airplane, a truck, a train, and a ship are apparent. According to emission factors compiled by the International Energy Agency (IEA) and disseminated in the technical analysis of The Geography of Transport Systems, air freight generates on average about 602 grams of CO2 per tonne-kilometre (g CO2/t-km). By comparison, road transport emits about 62 g CO2/t-km, rail transport about 22 g CO2/t-km and maritime transport about 8 g CO2/t-km.

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