Sustainable mobility

The EU is making sustained efforts to tackle the climate crisis by cutting down on greenhouse gas emissions, not least through its Green Deal. Consumer behaviour and choice are make-or-break factors for the success of these efforts. But consumers are locked into a mobility system that fundamentally depends on fossil fuels. We may wish to change the way we move about but have little or no alternatives for doing so.

That is why BEUC advocates to make sure consumers can break out of fossil-fuelled mobility and access greener transport options that work for them. We stress the need for a range of actions: from curbing CO2 emissions through higher reduction targets, to making electric cars a convenient option, better car labelling, improving long-distance rail and public transport, and promoting cycling and walking. We also see a role for – fair – price signals that can spur these developments. As we witness a global trend towards carbon pricing, we ask decision-makers to pay particular attention to the needs of different socio-economic and geographic groups of consumers.

While environmental considerations form a major part of our mobility work, we also note digital innovations in the mobility sector. For example, increased automation and Internet-connected features pose a whole new set of questions regarding liability, safety, data protection, fair competition and more.