A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE IN OUR HANDS - To Parent Directory

Sustainable transport© CorbisDidyou know…A person flying from Londonto New York and back willgenerate around the sameemissions as an averageEU family heating theirhome for a yearWhat the EU’s doingIdeally traffic would never clog up our roads, people would favourthe cleanest and most efficient modes of transport, and clean fuelwould put an end to toxic fume-filled air. But much still remainsto be done to get this concept off the drawing board and ontothe streets. This is why the EU has decided to coordinate actionin a number of key areas:• Reducing pollutant emissions to minimise effects on humanhealth and the environment• Achieving a balance in the frequency of use between differentmodes of transport• Cutting vehicle CO2 emissions, targeting 140g/km by 2009and 120g/km by 2012• Halving the number of road deaths (compared with 2000)by 2010The EU’s Eurovignette Directive, established in 1999, encouragesmember countries to apply tolls for heavy goods vehicles reflectingthe environmental impact of freight transportation. This initiativewill reward drivers with less polluting vehicles.Currently, one out of every nine freight deliveries in Europe arriveslate due to road congestion. And, with trends pointing to a 50% risein freight transport by 2010, action is sorely needed. The MarcoPolo programme sets out to restore the balance by encouragingthe use of combined modes of transport and by building moreefficient, cost effective and sustainable transport chains.For future action, the Commission has adopted a new GreenPaper on Urban Mobility. This Paper involves new approachesto encourage the use of sustainable and energy-efficienttransport solutions, including public transport and nonmotorisedtransport modes. It addresses all modes oftransport, including walking, cycling, motor cycles andmotor vehicles, and covers both urban freight (and logistics)and passenger transport. The Paper emphasisesthe need for an integrated policy approach.025