Transport accounts for a significant share of the environmental footprint of the products we consume. Yet its impact remains largely invisible at the point of purchase.
Could making this information accessible help accelerate the decarbonization of freight transport? This is one of the avenues explored by Movin’On, the New Energies Coalition and Kantar in a study unveiled at the Movin’On Summit 2026.
The study was further informed by the work of Lorraine Whitmarsh of the University of Bath and the experience of Simone Morgagni of SNCF on the conditions needed for behavior change.
KEY FINDINGS
1. Transport is a blind spot in sustainable consumption
The study, conducted among 2,000 consumers in France and Germany, reveals a paradox: only 31% say they are informed about the mode of transport used before they make a purchase, while 65% would like to know more about its environmental impact. For Émilie Espanet, Secretary General of the New Energies Coalition, these findings also highlight a gap between consumer expectations and how companies perceive them. While companies primarily approach transport decarbonization through the lens of their environmental commitments, consumers are interested in information that is directly accessible at the point of purchase.
Émilie Espanet also points out that transport decarbonization could account for less than 0.5% of a product’s final price, according to work conducted by the coalition in partnership with Movin’On. This potentially limited additional cost opens the way for new ways of informing consumers and recognizing companies’ efforts.
The Transport Score could therefore help bring companies’ commitments closer to consumer expectations by making visible an environmental impact that is currently largely overlooked. « There is a misalignment between what corporates think about what customers want and what real customers want. » - Émilie Espanet, Secretary General, New Energies Coalition
2. A Transport Score could influence purchasing decisions
The study tested interest in information about transport-related emissions reductions through several purchasing scenarios. 42% of respondents chose an option combining fair trade with reduced-emission transport.
In addition, 15% said they would be willing to pay more. These stated intentions point to potential, but do not yet establish that actual behavior would change in stores.
3. Provide information at the right time, while a choice is still possible
For Simone Morgagni, representing SNCF, the effectiveness of environmental information depends as much on its content as on the context in which it is presented. An indicator can influence a decision when it enables consumers to compare several offers. But its impact is limited if consumers have already made their choice or if no credible alternative exists.
4. Behavior change cannot rely on information alone
Lorraine Whitmarsh, Professor of Environmental Psychology at the University of Bath, pointed out that citizens are often supportive of changes they nevertheless struggle to put into practice. Habits, available infrastructure, economic constraints and social norms all directly influence individual decisions. She particularly emphasized the importance of focusing on people who are already willing to change but still face tangible barriers. « They are the ones that really we need to be focusing our attention on [...] They just need the barriers removed. » Lorraine Whitmarsh - Professor of Environmental Psychology, University of Bath
Key tensions and open questions
A promising tool—but how can its credibility be ensured? The 25 interviews conducted with economic stakeholders revealed interest in the principle of a Transport Score, but also significant reservations.
Consumers want to better understand transport’s impact, but companies do not yet have sufficiently harmonized methods for measuring and comparing emissions at product level. An indicator focused solely on transport could also provide only a partial view of a product’s overall environmental footprint.
Another challenge: 56% of consumers believe that a more sustainable option should not cost more. Paths to action
Build reliable, understandable information based on shared calculation methods that are consistent with the overall environmental footprint of products.
Test the Transport Score at the point of purchase to measure its real influence on decisions.
Combine information with changes to the conditions in which choices are made, making sustainable alternatives more accessible.
