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TRANSPORTATION AND MOBILITY


Modern systems of transportation are based on road transports, specifically, on the internal combustion engine which has been part of automobiles since the early 20th Century. The post-World War II era brought about an economy and a lifestyle intrinsically linked to the use of this means of transportation: the expansion of cities, long urban commutes, drive-in services, etc. Unfortunately, the social gains due to the population's access to individual mobility from automobiles led to an exponential increase in GHG emissions. The legitimate desire of a large part of the global population to gain access to this lifestyle is not compatible with the goals of carbon neutrality. In order to achieve carbon neutrality globally, it is necessary to transform the transportation system as well as to rethink mobility at all levels. Sector-wide strategies for reducing emissions in this sector usually indicate specific courses of action (typically known as the “Avoid-Shift-Improve”):

• “Avoid” the need for mobility, which implies planning economic activity, shortening commutes to work, increasing strategies for “work from home” and rethinking the location of economic activities.

• “Shift” the mode of transport simultaneously reversing the increasing trends of automobiles over rail and individual transport over collective transportation. Create the possibility for alternative types of vehicles, emphasizing this change in urban areas (bicycles, electric scooters, skates, walking). Encourage transportation sharing to increase the productivity of the transport service: car sharing, carpooling.

• “Improve” the efficiency of emissions through the introduction of electric or hydrogen-powered vehicles (assuming a change in energy paradigm - see Energy page).

THERE ARE ALSO SOME SIGNS OF A RADICAL TRANSFORMATION ALREADY UNDERWAY IN THE TRANSPORT AND MOBILITY SECTORS:


• In the growing use of transport sharing systems (car and bicycle sharing) in different urban centers.

• In urban planning and in the promotion of soft modes of mobility (such as cycling or walking) rather than urban areas allocated to roads and/or above ground and underground parking.

• In the fast paced evolution of hybrid and electric motorization.

• In the increased investment in prototypes and operational infrastructures of electric charging stations for cars, boats and aircraft.

• In the evolution of the concept of "mobility-as-a-service", such as taxi services or road transport platforms.

• In the development of real-time transport data integration systems: either for the interactive management of collective transport systems and their integration or; for sharing schemes in logistic distribution platforms.

• Invest on alternative fuels such as hydrogen or in the production of synthetic fuels based on renewable energy production to provide fuel neutral in carbon emissions.

• In increasing fuel efficiency and reducing emissions across most of the production sector, for vehicles ships and aircraft.

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