Getting into the Right Lane for Low-Carbon Transport in the EU

Abstract

This paper focuses on the vision of and the pathways towards low-carbon transport systems in the EU. Three interrelated themes are examined. It refers to a report of The Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency and Stockholm Resilience Centre titled Getting into the Right Lane for 2050, which includes three themes. The first theme is land resources, including water, and the EU's role in a world providing food for all without further loss of biodiversity. This implies improving agricultural productivity in order to close `yield gaps' in all regions, containing biodiversity loss worldwide on the way to 2050. It also implies a strategy of diversity in EU land and agriculture policies. The second theme is energy and envisages a low-carbon energy system in the EU in 2050. This amounts to 80% decrease in domestic emissions of greenhouse gases by 2050 and connects with the EU's need to improve energy security. The third theme is transport, with a vision for 2050 of low-carbon transport in Europe.