Page 6 - European Energy Innovation - spring 2020 publication

6 Spring 2020 European Energy Innovation
SUSTAINABLE URBAN MOBILITY

Tackling transport emissions
at EU level thanks to
sustainable urban mobility

By Karima Delli (pictured), Green MEP and Chairwoman of the Transport and Tourism Committee

Climate emergency Green Deal and transport to meet the citizens’ expectations.
Both Europe and our planet face The European Commission has
massive challenges induced by wanted to send a strong signal for The Green Deal must deserve its
climate change. Complying with the the Planet by announcing a Green name. To be clear, it should be
Paris agreement is indeed a matter Deal. At a time when we need to be translated into great political and
of top priority, in order to make our ambitious, the end result was clearly technical measures, which addresses
planet great again and enable the disappointing. It is mainly a list of climate change and social justice.
current and next generations to live good intentions without concrete
with decent conditions. actions. Both Mrs. Ursula Von der In terms of transport, a vast field
Leyen, the President of the European of actions is open to reach this
In this context, the European Commission, and Mr. Timmermans, aim, and all the transport modes
Parliament voted a political resolution the first Vice-President of the are concerned. When it comes to
on climate emergency last November, institution in charge of the Green aviation, a kerosene tax must be set
with the support of the Green Deal, have missed a great opportunity up and air transport must stop being
political families.

We cannot wait for the storm to pass;
we must act now. There is no “break”
for global warming and pollution,
and this is why both political and
concrete actions are urgently needed.

As Chairwoman of the ‘transport’
committee of the European
Parliament, my responsibility is to
trigger that change of paradigm
in the field of transport. Transport
indeed accounts for 30% of the CO2
emissions across Europe, and it is the
only sector in the European Union
whose greenhouse gas emissions
have been being increasing since
1990 (+26%). Our duty is then very
clear with this regard.

That is what the European citizens
have understood. The last European
elections have led to historical results
for the Green political parties in the
EU, and most of the major political
families have worked on a climate
agenda, although many of those
proposals were insufficient.

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