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Compare the carbon footprint of commuting by bus, metro, or train versus driving a private car. See how much CO2 you could save by switching.
Switching from a solo car commute to public transport can reduce your commuting carbon footprint by 50–90%. Buses produce 60–100 g CO2 per passenger-km, metros 20–50 g, and trains 6–55 g — compared to 120–270 g for a solo car driver.
2,602
kg CO2/year
10.84 kg CO2/day
922
kg CO2/year
3.84 kg CO2/day
461
kg CO2/year
1.92 kg CO2/day
A typical solo car commute of 20 km each way (40 km round trip), 5 days a week, produces approximately 1,800–2,800 kg CO2 per year depending on the country and fuel type. This single activity accounts for roughly 10–20% of the average person's total annual carbon footprint. Carpooling with just one other person halves this; with 3 passengers, it drops to a quarter.
Public transport's efficiency comes from moving many people simultaneously. A full bus replaces 40–60 individual cars, and a metro train can carry 1,000+ passengers per trip. Even diesel buses produce significantly fewer emissions per passenger-km than private cars. Electric metros and trams are even cleaner, with per-passenger emissions as low as 20 g CO2/km.
The ranking often changes with trip distance, occupancy, and fuel or grid intensity. A solo trip may favor one option, while shared travel can shift the result substantially. This page compares Car (Solo Driver), Bus, Metro / Subway so you can quickly identify which variables drive the largest changes.
Covers practical follow-up questions readers often ask
Use our travel calculator to get a personalized carbon footprint estimate based on your specific habits and location.
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