EU Presents Green, Smart and Affordable Mobility Plan

Aiming to achieve its goal to cut emissions by 90 percent by 2050, the European Commission presented on Wednesday a plan for green, smart and affordable mobility.

According to the ‘Sustainable and Smart Mobility Strategy’, doubling high-speed rail traffic and developing extra cycling infrastructure over the next 10 years as well operating solely on zero-emission cars, vans, buses and heavy-duty vehicles by 2050 are key EU targets.

The strategy will serve as the basis for how the Union’s transport system can achieve its green and digital transformation in line with European Green Deal goals, become more resilient to future crises as well as safe, accessible and affordable for all.

“To reach our climate targets, emissions from the transport sector must get on a clear downward trend. Today’s strategy will shift the way people and goods move across Europe and make it easy to combine different modes of transport in a single journey. We’ve set ambitious targets for the entire transport system to ensure a sustainable, smart, and resilient return from the COVID-19 crisis,” said Frans Timmermans, executive vice-president for the European Green Deal.

Besides tapping into digital technologies to transform the way people move, making mobility smarter, more efficient, and greener, the Commission hopes the strategy will provide businesses with a stable framework for the green investments. 

Key goals by 2030 include making all modes of transport more sustainable, with green alternatives widely available and the right incentives put in place to drive the transition. Targets by 2030, include at least 30 million zero-emission cars on European roads; 100 climate neutral cities; doubling high-speed rail traffic across Europe; the availability of zero-emission marine vessels; and by 2035, market-ready zero-emission aircraft.

Lastly, learning from the Covid-19 crisis, the strategy now foresees actions including reinforcing the single market, ensuring fair mobility for all, and stepping up transport safety and security to make transport more resilient. The sector has been one of the hardest hit by the pandemic.