Never before the mobility market has been placed so much prominently in the spotlight. There are two reasons for this. On the one hand, we have to completely redesign our way of thinking about short-haul and international transport in order to ensure safety and reduce the risks of Covid-19 transmission. On the other hand, we must address the issue of sustainability, which can no longer be ignored. It is now rightly assumed that the whole industry should focus on promoting sustainable transport. This is therefore the right time to plan, because only by making the right choices today can we hope to get the best out of tomorrow’s sustainable mobility scenario. These are the main issues that research, planning, and innovation in this field will have to address.
Revolutionising transport, both locally and internationally
The enemy to beat is global warming, to which transport contributes significantly (Europe alone accounts for almost 30% of total greenhouse gas emissions). When we talk about the environmental impact of transport, the difference between more or less sustainable options depends mainly on the type of energy being used. The aim is to minimise or even eliminate – from a broad perspective – diesel vehicles in favour of electric vehicles. These objectives are obviously easier to achieve when it comes to small vehicles for individual urban transport than when it comes to long-haul transport. However, public transport should also be taken into consideration, since it is used by millions of people every day and it can, with some commitment on the part of local authorities, be upgraded to become more sustainable. The numerous apps for electric vehicle sharing (which move fleets of cars, bikes, and scooters) and bicycle-sharing are also contributing to the spread of sustainable mobility in our cities. Car-sharing, with or without electric cars, can also be included in this category, as it helps to take a large number of private cars off the street. The branch that is currently struggling the most to incorporate sustainable practices is that of long-haul transport. At the moment, the best way to reduce emissions from air travel is to avoid it altogether. Research and innovation are the most important instruments to achieve sustainability in this field.
The responsibility of sustainable mobility must not fall entirely on the private sector
One of the most widespread myths about sustainable mobility is that it is a “personal” choice. The emphasis is often placed on the need for individuals to choose cycling over driving, scooters over buses, to give up air travel, and to prefer car-sharing to individually-owned cars. As important as the spread of good habits is, it is not only individual commuters who determine greenhouse gas emissions. Companies should also commit themselves to sustainable mobility, by favouring short supply chains or choosing sustainable incentive travel, company travel, event and conference organisation options, which are available, but seldom used. Future awareness campaigns on this issue should therefore be targeted at the B2B audiences, which have the potential of influencing the global environmental impact of transport and energy consumption enormously.