Fueling a Clean Transportation Future

The document highlights a growing problem where U.S. transportation fuels are becoming 'dirtier' as oil companies shift toward unconventional sources like tar sands and use high-emission extraction methods such as fracking. It argues that while vehicle efficiency has improved by 20 percent, these gains are undermined by the increasing emissions associated with extracting and refining oil, which can vary from less than 50 to 250 kilograms of CO2e per barrel. To counter this, the report advocates for eliminating wasteful practices like flaring, requiring better emissions disclosure, and shifting toward advanced biofuels made from wastes and perennial grasses. It also emphasizes the role of electric vehicles, noting that their climate benefit depends on the grid; for example, charging an EV in California produces only 35 percent of the emissions of a conventional vehicle.

• The carbon intensity of oil production is increasing as the industry shifts from easily accessible reserves to unconventional sources and more intense extraction techniques.
• There is significant variability in the global warming emissions associated with the extraction and refining of a single barrel of oil, ranging from under 50 kg to 250 kg.
• Unconventional fossil resources, specifically Canadian tar sands, can produce emissions up to 100 kilograms per barrel higher than conventional crude oil.
• Small annual increases in oil supply chain emissions can lead to massive cumulative pollution; a 1 kg increase per barrel per year from 2015 to 2035 would add approximately one billion tons of emissions.
• Advanced biofuels derived from non-food resources, such as agricultural residues and perennial grasses, can reduce global warming emissions by more than 60 percent compared to gasoline.
• The climate impact of electric vehicles (EVs) is determined by the electricity grid; an EV on the average U.S. grid produces about 50 percent of the emissions of a gasoline vehicle, while one in California produces only 35 percent.
• The report recommends three primary actions to clean up transportation fuels: eliminating wasteful practices like flaring, requiring emissions disclosure and tracking, and transitioning to advanced biofuels and a renewable energy grid.

APA

Union of Concerned Scientists (2016). Fueling a Clean Transportation Future. https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/attach/2016/02/Fueling-Clean-Transportation-Future-executive-summary.pdf

Chicago

Union of Concerned Scientists. Fueling a Clean Transportation Future. 2016. https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/attach/2016/02/Fueling-Clean-Transportation-Future-executive-summary.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Union of Concerned Scientists |title=Fueling a Clean Transportation Future |date=February 2016 |url=https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/attach/2016/02/Fueling-Clean-Transportation-Future-executive-summary.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{unionofconcernedscientists2016fueling, author = {{Union of Concerned Scientists}}, title = {{Fueling a Clean Transportation Future}}, institution = {Union of Concerned Scientists}, year = {2016}, month = feb, url = {https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/attach/2016/02/Fueling-Clean-Transportation-Future-executive-summary.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }