“Road transport has to be an accelerator in meeting our 2030 climate targets” – Vice-President Maroš Šefčovič

Speaking at the ‘Driving Road Decarbonisation Forward’ -conference hosted at the European Commission last week, Vice President of the European Commission Maroš Šefčovič discussed the underlying scheme for the future of EU policy on sustainable road transport. Vice President Šefčovič elaborated on the importance of decarbonisation of the transport sector, which in itself accounts for a quarter of all CO2 emissions in the EU. In his speech he also referred to an on-going update of the Effort Sharing Decision targets for 2030 (the ECF response to which is available here). In this context, ECF wishes to present its continuous endeavours to highlight the role of cycling in the climate change debate. In its contacts with the European Commission, ECF emphasizes the considerable contributions that the cycling sector makes to this EU plan for a sustainable economy; a contribution that releases regions and cities in the EU from an acute reliance on ‘un-smart’ (and easily substitutable) modes of urban transport, and in turn, has the potential to upgrade the entire economies of Member States.

It is then with this message that ECF prepares for the UN Climate Change Conference (the COP21) in Paris in December this year. Cycling functions as an important constituent in the larger comprehensive and integrated plan to move the EU economy away from a dependence on carbon fuels: a plan that includes industrial transformation and increased market competitiveness, and increased research and innovation. While ECF is encouraging of the widely-supported solution for stricter CO2 standards, it also believes that for a move towards a true low-carbon economy in the EU, we simply cannot ignore our existing governance framework; in the race for innovative responses, one must not disregard a primal solution: a modal shift away from conventionally-fuelled vehicles, at least where possible. To paraphrase Jerzy Buzek – chair of the Industry, Research and Energy committee in the European Parliament – following the conference: in order to reduce emissions, all the while maintaining competitiveness, we must look holistically at governance, not just new tech. Beyond its work with the European institutions, ECF also follows closely developments on the global level. ECF is working together with dozens of cities to systematise their voluntary commitments to the sustainable development goals agreed at Rio +20; said work is facilitated by its Cities for Cyclists network for cooperation and capacity-building at the most local levels of decision-making. ECF – and its international network of World Cycling Alliance – is thus extending its work on the green economy and decarbonisation of the transport sector, and that’s how we aim to take the road to COP21 later this year!

About the author Khuram Parvez is a policy assistant at ECF, and works on increasing the role of cycling in EU transport policies.