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).