Mobility and transport policies: Between sustainability and a just transition

Abstract

Mobility and transport have gained increasing relevance in the implementation processes of sustainability objectives, from international, regional, national and even local perspectives. Not only with regard to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) set forth by the United Nations, but also within the scope of commitments under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and in a way of promoting the resilience of communities and territories, the paradigm shift towards mobility and transport solutions for reduced (or even neutral) emissions of greenhouse gases is gradually becoming a concrete reality. However, the inequalities that exist in territories and societies do not yet grant everyone access to the most recent innovations for what is considered sustainable or soft mobility, so it is necessary to quickly adapt public policies and the law, in order to guarantee what is considered as the “just transition,” from conventional mobility to new cleaner, cheaper and healthier approaches, as defined by the European Green Deal. This article aims to provide a brief overview of the existing instruments and mechanisms, as well as to present a path to the challenges and opportunities of the future for sustainable and fair mobility.