Sustainable Mobility : Environmentally friendly transport

What is Sustainable Mobility?

Sustainable means of transport are known to be characterized by either low or zero emissions, but sustainable mobility concepts go one step further. Ultimately, the aim is to re-organize the traffic of a major city or metropolitan region so that the ecological footprint is reduced to a minimum and no more resources are consumed than are available or can be regenerated.

Sustainable mobility is a concept for transforming transport from an ecological point of view. The aim is to reduce fuel consumption and emissions in such a way that the ecosystem can regenerate. In Anglo-American speaking countries, the term 'Green Driving' is; therefore, used synonymous. Ultimately, the aim is to implement sustainable transportation that uses fewer resources, allows more green spaces and thus contributes to climate protection.

Challenges of Sustainable Mobility

The greatest challenge of Sustainable Mobility is to find a healthy balance between the resource consumption of all transport users and the regenerative capacity of the ecosystem. To find and realize this, a comprehensive strategy is needed that must master the following four challenges at its core.

1. Reduce traffic -or if possible, avoid it.
2. Promote environmentally compatible modes of transport - e.g. fewer cars, more trains
3. Increase energy efficiency -e.g. also alternative fuels & new technologies.
4. Use post-fossil fuels and green electricity - or, if possible, avoid it.

Sustainable Mobility goals and opportunities

Specifically, sustainable mobility concepts should promote the following goals, among others:

# 2 Promotion of environmentally friendly means of transport

A ban on cars in the city centre is unrealistic: studies show that there is hardly any political majority for it. What can lead to a change; however, is a reduction in the number of streets and parking spaces for private cars.

In return, there must then be more lanes and parking spaces for public transport and sharing services. The main reasons for this are:

• The private car has a life cycle assessment that is too poor.
• Within the European Union, traffic (in total) is responsible for around 30% of all CO₂ emissions.
• 60% of these are attributable to motor traffic (cars) alone.

That's why it will be important to promote alternative, low-CO₂ fuels (even) more in the future - whether electromobility or hydrogen. Improvements in local public transport are also absolutely necessary to drive forward three crucial developments:

1. Transport more passengers from A to B.
2. Emit fewer emissions.
3. Reduce the attraction of the private car (especially in urban areas).

Good to know: In order to achieve the goals of the Paris Climate Agreement of 2018, it will be necessary in the future to gradually replace classic combustion engines with alternative drives and CO²-neutral fuels. In addition, there is a need for more affordable alternatives to cars that are popular and frequently used by the residents of a city.

# 3 Promote Micro-mobility & cycling

If you want to encourage urban dwellers to switch from private cars to public transport, you first have to close the (often large) gaps in the transport infrastructure (keyword: last mile problem). After all, the last mile issue is crucial to motivating people in the long term to use their cars less (or not at all).
For many people who do not live or work within walking distance of public transportation, it is imperative to expand micro-mobility more. Meaning:

• More small vehicles to get from the front door to public transit (last mile).
• More e-bikes, e-scooters, small electric cars (for max. 2 people), etc.
• More and better bike lanes (keyword: road marking systems).

Good to know: A cleverly organized interplay of bicycle-friendly infrastructures and alternative means of transportation such as e-bikes, e-scooters and alternative drives ultimately also ensures that cities become quieter and the quality of the air improves.

# 4 More car sharing, rental offers & flat-rate model

Car-sharing cars have one thing in particular over passenger cars and can make the switch seem attractive: they don't have to park in city centers, where parking space is scarce and the search for a parking space can cost a lot of nerves.
Although the market share is still relatively small, it holds great potential:

• If city-dwellers could effectively use car-sharing services at any time - flexibly and at the lowest possible prices - it would be much easier to leave the car behind.
• The future will show to what extent flat rate models will help to make the switch even more convenient (e.g., price X for Y trips per month).
• Pricing structure, range of services, and quick and easy booking (e.g., via app) will be the most important factors in making car sharing as attractive as possible.

Good to know: According to studies, one car-sharing car can replace between 8 and 20 passenger cars. And as soon as they drive autonomously, you can look for a parking space yourself - somewhere on the outskirts of town or wherever there is space. A future vision that will make the passenger car more dispensable.

# 5 Promoting autonomous driving

Autonomous vehicles will shape the future of urban mobility, but the technology will still need time to assert itself.
But the advantages are already obvious today:

1. The total number of vehicles would be reduced enormously: "Use instead of own".
2. Autonomous vehicles can park outside the city.
3. Autonomous vehicles offer "more safety": human error is responsible for over 90% of all car accidents.

Good to know: Basically, no one doubts that autonomous driving will come; however, there is still a lot of disagreement about the timing and the steps that are necessary for the technology to assert itself.

# 6 Expansion of electro mobility & alternative drives

The future belongs to renewable energies, and we are currently in a transition period from the "fossil to the post-fossil age".
The way we operate our transport systems needs to be changed - given the poor life cycle assessment - if only to ensure better air quality, lower noise levels and, of course, fewer emissions.
One of the most promising solutions to this challenge is the expansion of electro mobility and alternative fuels, because only low-CO₂ fuels will make it possible to comply with CO₂ emission limits and other climate targets.

Good to know: whether sustainable mobility concepts will focus on electro mobility, hydrogen, solar technology or hybrid drives in the future is still unclear on the one hand, and on the other hand, countries with different (geographical) conditions will ultimately promote and develop different technologies.

# 7 Shifting logistics to the railway

It is not only individual transport that needs to be reduced in order to make transport more sustainable in the future. Certain changes must also be made in logistics.
A strong promotion of rail transport would be a first step that would have enormous advantages:

• The majority of trains run on electricity (often even with green electricity).
• Fewer trucks also means less CO₂ in the air.
• If more trains instead of trucks roll through the country, there will also be more space on the roads.