2023-11-10 07:00:00
The numbers are fixed, but the challenge is capital: the European Union has set itself the goal of reducing polluting gas emissions by 55% in 2030 compared to 1990. An intermediate step until reaching climate neutrality by 2050. And although it has been talked about for some time, there is still much to do. An example is the transition to sustainable mobilitya sector that has been defined as fundamental because it represents 28% of total EU emissions.
A change that affects all forms of travel, both collective and private, and for which the foundations already exist. Now all you have to do is step on the accelerator. In this sense, the celebration of the round table ‘Solutions for the decarbonisation of mobility’ in the framework of the BNEW exhibition, held in Barcelona from 2 to 5 October, it was used to analyze the current situation of this transition towards sustainability. The meeting was moderated by Jacobo Anaya, director of Energy and Sustainability of BBVA in Spain, who assured that the energy transition represents a great opportunity for development due to the large volume of investment it requires. “We need a lot of innovation so that sustainable mobility is economically profitable in all its forms and promotes both electrification and green fuels,” he remarked.
Although the concept of sustainable mobility is global, each form of travel has its own evolution and goals to achieve. This is a review of the situation and the perspectives of the different means of transport:
1- Promote the deployment of electric vehicles
The private vehicle must play a key role in the sustainable mobility system as a complement to public transport. But to comply with the necessary emission reduction and reduction of pollution in cities, it must be sustainable. Currently, the weight of electrified versions in the Spanish mobile fleet is only between 10% and 12%, according to Silvia Martí, corporate vice president of Moventia. A percentage that is noticeably reduced in the case of pure electrics.
To increase the circulation of electric cars, Silvia Martí pointed to the need to offer the user “quick and efficient fiscal aid to purchase an electric car”. And along with purchase support, it’s also essential to increase available recharge points. “Need increase the charging infrastructure not only in quantity, but also in quality. And for it to be a truly sustainable mobility, they must be linked to the production of renewable energies”, added Carlos González, general manager of Emovili, a company dedicated to the installation of charging points.
2-Sustainable and, moreover, intelligent public transport
Public transport, especially in big cities, has to deal with it too an electrification process (in the case of buses and taxis), as well as improving energy efficiency and digitization. And, above all, it must be integrated and have a conception that is not only urban, but also metropolitan. “The great challenge of public transport must be connect metropolitan cities, beyond a first crown. In the case of Barcelona, for example, it cannot continue to absorb the volume of cars from people who go to work in the city and do not have an alternative public transport”, remarked Silvia Martí.
Likewise, the transport network must embrace advanced technologies to improve service, efficiency, integration and data analysis. An example is the work they have been doing for years in Metro de Madrid. “Thanks to the energy saving measures and use of new technologies we have managed to reduce electricity consumption by 20%. We are moving towards an intelligent metro concept, digitizing the trains and bringing the stations to the 4.0 environment”, said Isaac Centellas, head of the Division of Facilities and Information Systems.
3-The transformation of maritime transport
He The transport of goods by sea has not stopped growing in the last decade (with the exception of the pandemic year) driven by industrial relocation. A study by the Global Health Institute of Barcelona estimates that every year 10,000 million tons of cargo are moved around the world by sea and this causes close to 3% of the world’s greenhouse gases, as well as 13% of nitrogen oxide (NOx) and 12% of sulfur oxide (SOx) emissions.
Faced with this, the Port of Barcelona has drawn three main lines to increase its sustainability, as explained by Jordi Vila, responsible for the environment of this infrastructure. On the one hand, continue to increase the production of renewable energy in the port. “We have an annual production potential of 110 GW hours, which represents a third of our consumption”, he revealed. At the same time, they are working for the “electrification of the docks” so that ships can connect while moored, which prevents the generation of emissions. And, at a global level, there is the goal of decarbonizing maritime transport by 2050, for which the development and supply of green fuels will be fundamental.
4- Medium and long distance: more efficient rail and airplanes
He rail must be the reference means of transport for medium-distance journeys, as it is the most sustainable means. And it is that, according to the data of the European Environment Agency, only it represents 0.5% of the EU’s total greenhouse gas emissions. In fact, France is setting a path that other countries will follow: it has banned domestic flights between destinations that are connected by a train journey of less than two and a half hours. At the same time, there is a European project to connect the continent’s cities by high-speed train.
However, aviation will continue to be necessary and, for this reason, research is being done in the creation of synthetic (i.e. non-fossil) aviation fuels that allow aircraft emissions to be significantly reduced. Currently they only represent 0.05% of total consumption, a figure that must increase thanks to the ‘ReFuelEU aviation’ project, which seeks to promote the production and supply of these fuels. Likewise, the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) is working on a series of measures to improve its efficiency such as the improvement of aeronautical technology, operational improvements, the creation of a compensation plan and the development of the aforementioned green fuels.
Thus, the foundations of the mobility of the future are laid and now all that is needed is a definitive commitment to speed up the process. In this objective, the financing and support of entities such as BBVA. The entity plans to mobilize 300,000 million euros from 2018 to 2025 to promote the green transition, and a part will be aimed at achieving sustainable and effective mobility, which will mean a benefit for the environment, health and also for the economy.
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