Page 9 - European Energy Innovation - Spring 2016 publication

Spring 2016 European Energy Innovation 9
technology, for example to increase
the share of renewable energies
in transport or make vehicles and
vessels more energy efficient, will
play a central role as we decarbonise
our transport network to better serve
the needs of people and business.
Investment will be vital, as well as
a regulatory framework that allows
Europe’s pool of talented people and
companies the freedom to innovate
and provide mobility solutions and
services.
There will also be a need to organise
our transport system differently, to
make a greater use of less greenhouse
gas intensive modes such as inland
waterways or railways, plan our cities
better to allow for a greater share
of walking and cycling, and better
integrate the different means of
transport to get the right mix.
But for now let us look a little closer
at each of the four main modes of
transport.
On road, the European Union has
set CO2 emissions standards for
vehicles. There are targets running
until 2021. By that year, the average
emissions of new cars sold in the EU
(per manufacturer) will be 95 grammes
of CO2 per kilometre, compared to
124 grammes today. Changes to the
procedure to test emissions will soon
enter into force and will guarantee
a more accurate assessment of
car emissions. We will also need
to improve the efficiency of road
transport operations, avoiding empty
runs and stimulating fleet renewals.
Strengthening public transport is
particularily important in that respect. There is a need for investment in our
And if we want to increase the
demand for vehicles using alternative
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TRANSPORT DECARBONISATION
energies, a critical condition is
sufficient infrastructure for recharging and new operators into the market.
and refuelling. In 2014 the EU
adopted a framework for creating this
infrastructure which Member States are
now implementing.
In the skies, much is being done
to reduce the impact of aviation
emissions. In order to be effective, my
preference is to tackle CO2 emissions
from aviation through global action,
as aviation is global by nature. We are
working closely with the International
Civial Aviation Organisation (ICAO)
on two ambitious global measures.
The first is on a CO2 Standard for
aircraft, where a landmark agreement
was reached at expert level at ICAO
in February. It could save up to 650
million tonnes of CO2 emissions by
2040.
The second is to develop a global
mandatory system to offset aviation
emissions. The goal is to achieve
carbon neutral growth from 2020 in a
cost-effective manner. I also welcome
the recent news by an EU airline taking
the first steps to develop a hybrid
plane. In the medium term alternative
propulsion systems will have to be
developed to make aviation more
sustainable, in view of the ever-
increasing demand for flights.
On rail, work is progressing on the
Fourth Railway Package. Agreement
was secured on technical aspects
last year, improving interoperability
and facilitating the placing on the
market of new rolling stocks. Work is
ongoing to get agreement on opening
up domestic passenger rail markets.
rail infrastructure. The Fourth Railway
Package provides a framework to
attract much needed investment
Competition has revitalised other
sectors and I am confident, if a deal
can be reached in the coming months,
that rail can be revitalised too.
Briefly to maritime: The major goal
for this year is to ensure International
Maritime Organisation member states
agree on a global CO2 reporting
scheme as a first step towards making
serious inroads into cutting emissions
in this sector.. In parallel, the EU and
its international partners should start
thinking about an effective global
measure to reduce CO2 from shipping.
Again, the Paris agreement has given
renewed impetus in finding a deal.
It is important that challenges are
changed into opportunities, so the
EU can become more competitive
and lead the change globally. I invite
industry to come on board, seize
the opportunity and maintain the
momentum.
Of course, while it is necessary to
have strategies to reduce the impact
of individual modes of transport,
ultimately, we are moving away from
the ‘silo’ mentality of the past. The
future of mobility will see carbon-
free, smart and seamlessly integrated
transport network.
Owning the transport we use, such as
cars will be less important. Switching
modes will become easier, as real-
time information planners become
more integrated. Not only will this
be good for us as citizens today, but
it represents a huge opportunity to
reduce the impact of climate change,
so we can hand our planet on to the
next generation. l