The European Green Deal aims to transform the EU into a fair and prosperous society in which there are no net emissions of greenhouse gases by 2050. In parallel to this “green” transition there is a digital transformation in Europe which aims to empower businesses and people in a human-centred, sustainable and more prosperous digital future. The “twin transitions” (green and digital) are thus at the top of the EU political agenda and will shape Europe and its future.
In February 2022, the European Commission launched an open consultation on the 2022 Strategic Foresight Report – better understanding the twinning between the green and digital transitions. This report aims to clarify how green and the digital transitions can mutually reinforce each other, in particular through the use of emerging technologies.
In this context, ECTRI has issued a new position paper on the “Greening and Digitalisation of Transport” where it explains why funding research alongside innovation, is essential for the development and evaluation of measures that are effective in each context and how much research is an essential foundation for understanding those contexts and for informed decisions.
To support a twin transition in transport that meets the 2050 targets, ECTRI makes some recommendations for a European-wide research agenda, that includes the following actions:
- Start from society’s targets. Backcasting needs to define intermediate goals and indicators in the time span until 2050 and to identify policy measures – as soft or harsh as needed – to achieve each of the intermediate targets.
- Any transition needs to be looked at throughout the value chain and take a full scope view that in the case of transport includes e.g. the need for infrastructure.
- Build knowledge to reach decarbonisation goals – by applying a systems approach, that also encompasses the digitalisation evolution in transportation.
- Research how to leverage and benefit from digitalisation and automation – to make the needed impact on “greening”
ECTRI, representing the transport research community, is ready to contribute with better methods, tools and data that help develop the best solutions and policy mix that can support Europe achieve the goals of the European Green Deal while also ensuring the right investment decisions given limited public budgets.
Read the full ECTRI position paper on “Greening and Digitalisation of Transport” – March 2022
Read ECTRI reply to the public consultation on the 2022 Strategic Foresight Report – better understanding the twinning between the green and digital transitions