Mobility

Carbon emissions from transport will still account for 44% of Europe’s total in 2030. The sector's decarbonisation comes with broad challenges, including industrial transformation to scale new technologies, secure local green jobs, and ramp up new supply chains. Transport & Environment's Julia Poliscanova looks at the building blocks of a successful mobility transition for the next European Commission. 

This analysis seeks to unravel the intricate web of factors influencing mobility in the wake of three transformative events - Covid-19, Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine, and the climate crisis. These events have had a profound impact on the way we move, and it is essential to understand the evolving patterns of travel, the resilience of transportation systems, the role of technology, and the policy responses that have emerged to address these challenges.

The technical problems with international rail in Europe are quite well understood. But are there ways to improve the situation while not challenging the fundamental status quo? Ways where, at the border, some basic changes could improve matters for international railway travellers?

After the German federal elections in September 2021, the Greens joined a government coalition with the Social Democrats and the Liberals. MdBs Dr. Anna Christmann and Claudia Müller are respectively the new Federal Government Coordinators of German Aerospace Policy, and for the Maritime Industry and for Tourism. Philipp Cerny and Martin Keim conducted a joint interview to find out more about their priorities and thoughts.

Every passenger aims to get from point A to B as quickly, easily and affordably as possible. For persons with reduced mobility, one cannot talk of fair and equal access. European mobility can only be sustainable if public transport is accessible for everybody. Otherwise, users will always revert to the solution of motorised private transport. Consequently, the freedom of mobility is strongly related to the question of accessibility to the different means of transport for everybody.

Small steps are necessary to implement big changes. More specifically, the steps of society’s youngest members. If the way families move shifts towards a more sustainable (and less car-centred) mode, a considerable reduction of emissions of the traffic sector can be achieved.

For about two decades, the logistics industry has become more serious about sustainability. Although a validated definition of “green logistics” does not yet exist, the reduction of CO2 emissions can be regarded as an important part of the concept. In freight transport, heavy goods vehicles on roads are by far the biggest emitter of greenhouse gases, while rail is the smallest. Nevertheless, the shift from road to rail – a central target of EU transport policies – struggles to get off the ground.

Transport makes a significant contribution to global employment and provides economic opportunities for millions across the world, acting as a key enabler for trade, manufacturing and mobility. In Europe alone, the transport industry directly employs around 10 million people. However, the human costs of transport – both present and future – cannot be ignored.

The European Commission's Fit-for-55 package proposal to go to 100% zero emission car sales from 2035 shows a serious commitment for reaching carbon neutrality by 2050, and will put European industry in the driving seat to dominate the new global electric vehicle (EV) market. While this move could democratise the purchase of EVs, policy-makers need to take a small extra step to ensure early build up of EVs to drive cost reductions and fully guarantee that chargers are available in the right locations.

Electrifying European transport is a clear-cut way to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. In Denmark, the pioneering electric car ferry “Ellen” connects the port of Fynshav and the island of Ærø. European Mobility Atlas 2021 Chief Executive Editor Philipp Cerny interviewed Halfdan Abrahamsen from the Municipality of Ærø’s Energy and Environment Office.

The UK government has some good ideas for improving the rail network, says Ros Taylor. But cheap fuel, costly buses and a deep-seated aversion to road pricing have driven people away from public transport – and that was before the pandemic.

Night trains are on the rise again. This year, 2021, marks the European Year of Rail and the resurrection of important new night train connections, combined with fresh railway market entrants. Read on to learn more about this promising means of transportation.

Walking is vital for liveable cities and a basic right for any city dweller. However, it has long been under-represented in practice and research, something London is planning to overcome. England’s capital intends to build on its prior success in improving walkability, through the elements of shaping individual behaviour, space inequalities and governance.

Mobility is not gender neutral. This not only pertains to individual mobility, but also to the transport and planning sectors themselves, which are heavily dominated by men. Social stereotypes and role distribution within a predominantly male workforce, as well as care work mostly carried out by females, do the rest to create an environment that is aligned with male needs.

Europe is the continent where multiple forms of transportation have been invented or brought to technological maturity. The free movement of persons has made Europe grow together and led to an ever-stronger sense of cohesion. Cross-border mobility is a prerequisite for a united EU and the experience of inter-connectedness on all levels.

The European Mobility Atlas 2021 analyses the key facts and figures about transport and mobility in Europe, contributing to the efforts towards sustainable and just mobility in the European Union. The main takeaways from the Atlas are summarised in these 12 brief lessons.

It took until the late 1980s to make transport part of EU policy. Since then, steps have been taken towards a more ambitious transport policy. Reluctance in EU Member States to enforce the rules keeps being the biggest obstacle.

Liberalisation and social harmonisation have barely gone hand in hand in the transport sector. Some EU rules exist, but without proper enforcement, the current employment situation is often unsatisfactory.

Suddenly, the skies were blue. The Covid-19 lockdown grounded the majority of flights, and analysts say that it could take years for aviation to get back to normal.

For more than 100 years, the automotive industry has relied on cars with internal combustion engines. Today, transformation is irrevocable. The Covid-19 pandemic makes it a truly Herculean task.