On the 11th of December 2019, the European Commission presented the Green Deal as a blueprint for the EU to address climate change and its many interwoven challenges. The primary goal of the Green Deal in the EU is to become carbon-neutral by 2050.

Research has shown that transport accounts for roughly 27% of the EU’s annual total greenhouse gas emissions. According to the European Commission, ‘the European Green Deal seeks a 90% reduction in these emissions by 2050. Moving to more sustainable transport means putting users first and providing them with more affordable, accessible, healthier and cleaner alternatives.” However, three months after the Green Deal was presented, the EU was struck by the Covid-19 pandemic. As protective measures were put into place, businesses closed their doors and international transport decreased drastically. While travel restrictions, lockdowns, and increased unemployment remain at our front doors, Europe has seen a marked reduction in transport across the continent.

Given this shift towards remote employment, remote education, and decreased demand for travel, emissions caused by transport have decreased massively. Industry experts believe now is the time to ‘leapfrog’ to more sustainable technologies, systems and measures to achieve the EU’s green goals. Over the last few weeks we have witnessed increased investments in sustainable transport projects including areas such as cycling, rail, SUMP, inland waterway shipping and other sectors. Additionally, members states are focusing on improving efficiency, implementing digital solutions and ‘reinventing’ public transport to ensure Europe is on its way towards a sustainable and carbon-neutral future.

With combined efforts from different modes of transport, and the emergence of innovative and potentially ground-breaking concepts, shared mobility, the ELTIS portal and other best practices, the move towards sustainable transport could be imminent.Centre for Sustainability, Innovation and Good Governance (CSIGG) will be hosting the 2020 Sustainable Transport Roundtable; a policy and strategy meeting that will bring together Members of European Parliament, representatives from the European Commission, transport authorities, academics, regulatory bodies, technology providers and other key stakeholders to discuss the future of sustainable transport in Europe.