Towards clean and smart mobility

30 Jun 2016 12:36 PM

Transport plays a critical role in the way we live. Our food, clothes and household waste all need to be transported, contributing to our economy and quality of life. But the increasing use of planes, cars and other fossil-fuel dependent modes of transport is causing more pollution, putting at risk our environment and health. The European Environment Agency’s (EEA) Signals 2016 explores how Europe’s carbon-dependent transport sector can be turned into a clean and smart mobility system.

Image © Gülçin Karadeniz 2016

The EU’s transport sector depends on oil for 94 % of its fuel. It is clear that decarbonising Europe’s transport sector will take time. It requires a combination of measures, including better urban planning, technological improvements, and a wider use of alternative fuels. But it can be done and we know how we can make it happen. Cleaner and smarter transport can actually meet Europe’s need for mobility and at the same time deliver many public health benefits, including cleaner air, fewer accidents, less congestion and less noise pollution.

EEA Executive Director Hans Bruyninckx

EEA Signals 2016 – Towards green and smart mobility goes beyond the data and statistics on transport, giving an in-depth explanation of the key facts and trends, the environmental challenges facing transport, and the green choices we have to ensure cleaner modes of moving around.

Transport underpins our modern society and economy. At the same time, it is responsible for a quarter of the EU’s greenhouse gas emissions, and causes air pollution, noise pollution and habitat fragmentation.

The European Union has already taken measures to mitigate the effects of transport pollution, and it has launched work on ambitious plans to create a low-carbon economy by 2050. These plans include making sure transport plays its part in reducing emissions.

“The EU’s transport sector depends on oil for 94 % of its fuel. It is clear that decarbonising Europe’s transport sector will take time. It requires a combination of measures, including better urban planning, technological improvements, and a wider use of alternative fuels. But it can be done and we know how we can make it happen. Cleaner and smarter transport can actually meet Europe’s need for mobility and at the same time deliver many public health benefits, including cleaner air, fewer accidents, less congestion and less noise pollution,” says EEA Executive Director Hans Bruyninckx.

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