Green transportation: the present and future of urban mobility

Did you know that 54% of the world’s population now lives in an urban environment? And that this trend is set to continue, with experts predicting that by 2050, around two-thirds of the world’s population will live in cities.

While this reflects the economic importance of urban centres, it also highlights one of today’s greatest challenges: as cities grow, so does the number of people, goods and services that circulate within them, with this potentially affecting people’s quality of life.

Providing mobility through a green transportation system is therefore becoming an increasingly urgent matter, not only due to the compelling necessity to address climate change, but also because it allows for more equitable access to urban travel. 

This is why the global transition to a greener transportation system is an integral part of the 2030 Agenda of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and why many countries have already implemented public policies in this regard.

However, such a project would not be possible without the technological progress that has been made in the field of renewable energy. As a result, green transportation is now a much more viable option and is more energy-efficient, economical and environmentally friendly. In fact, according to the World Bank, “the shift to green transportation could save $70 trillion by 2050”.

What is green transportation?

The Secretary-General of the United Nations (UN) has said that the current urban transport model “accounts for more than a quarter of global greenhouse gas emissions”. According to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), air pollution kills more than seven million people every year.

Indeed, public transportation in cities is increasingly inefficient and polluting, with this being further compounded by the use of private vehicles that run on fossil fuel. This means that cities are becoming increasingly unsustainable in terms of the CO₂ emissions they produce.

A number of alternative modes of transport are emerging to meet these mobility needs, both within cities and around the world, offering more environmentally friendly ways of getting around. This new form of urban planning aims to rapidly reduce the environmental footprint of urban agglomerations, which means using more efficient vehicles in terms of capacity, space and energy efficiency.

To succeed, however, it is not enough for people to walk or cycle more, or to buy more electric cars: cities as a whole must transform themselves to reduce their impact, and this requires a strategic approach.

What are the greenest modes of transportation?

In recent years, a number of green transportation alternatives have emerged which promote electric, shared and environmentally friendly urban mobility. These are some of the most common and popular options among users:

1. Bicycles and e-bikes

The traditional bicycle was and still is the greenest mode of transport. Cities such as Copenhagen, Amsterdam, Berlin, Stockholm and Bogotá are great examples of how the bicycle can be a viable and useful means of transport for people on a daily basis, using our legs to propel us forward without the need to generate any energy. 

To make this work, these cities have had to modify their streets to provide designated cycle lanes, along with parking stations, bike-sharing services, etc. Barcelona, Madrid, Mexico City and Buenos Aires are among the cities that have adopted this sustainable transport model.

The electric bicycle, or e-bike, has steadily gained traction over the last decade. Its small electric motor emits only 3 gCO2 pKm (grams of CO2 per kilometre), making it a very clean way to get around. In addition, the fact that they have fallen in price and have been introduced into many local shared services has led to their rise in popularity and number of users. 

2. Electric mopeds

The electric moped is another two-wheeled vehicle that has become an integral part of urban green transportation. According to a study by CE Delft, a European environmental consultancy, between 2020 and 2021, the use of electric mopeds resulted in a reduction of 61 tons of CO2 in Brussels and 428 tons in Berlin. Other advantages include its competitive price, greater autonomy, ease of parking and lower maintenance costs. 

Electric mopeds can reach speeds of up to 100 km/h, making them a very practical vehicle for short and medium distances. They also produce minimal noise, solving the problem of noise pollution. 

3. Electric scooters

The electric scooter has recently become a very popular means of environmentally friendly transport. The very affordable price of some models, their ease of use and the comfort they offer have made them a popular alternative in large cities.

It is estimated that electric scooters emit an average of 25 gCO2 per km, which is impressive considering their performance. In addition, their battery life is much better than it used to be and there are increasingly lighter models on the market. All these factors make them an excellent green transportation option for urban mobility.

However, it is worth noting that there is a fair amount of controversy surrounding the electric scooter for a number of reasons. The first relates to their lithium batteries, since their production, durability and recycling make them environmentally unsustainable. Secondly, the lack of regulation of these personal mobility vehicles means that riders not only pose a risk to themselves, but to other vehicles and pedestrians as well.

4. Train, metro and tram

The train is one of the most environmentally friendly modes of transport in urban areas. According to the European Environment Agency (EEA), trains emit around 14 grams of CO2 per passenger/kilometre. And while there is still room for improvement, their efficiency and speed have both been improved in recent years, making them a great alternative to the private car. Trains stand out for their comfort, connectivity and capacity. 

Other green transportation options include the metro and tram. These are often found in large and medium-sized cities as they provide an easy and economical way to travel short distances. For instance, in London, the metro emits about 28 grams of CO2 per passenger/kilometre, while the tram emits an average of 29 grams of CO2 per passenger/kilometre.

5. Bus

Buses are still a widely used form of urban transport and have improved significantly in terms of sustainability through the use of electric or hybrid engines. On average, electric buses emit around 35.6 grams of CO2 per passenger/kilometre, which compares very favourably with the 183 grams per passenger/kilometre of a diesel bus. 

It is an accessible and affordable means of transport that allows people to travel short and medium distances relatively quickly. 

6. Electric car

Finally, and as the main alternative to the traditional internal combustion engine car, we have the electric car. This is a good option for those who prefer the comfort provided by this type of vehicle.

The emissions of an electric car are much lower than those of a traditional car: 43 gCO2 pkm compared to 121 gCO2 pkm in the case of the latter. The main advantages to an electric car are that it runs on electricity, does not emit harmful gases and produces minimal noise.

Conversely, although these aspects are being improved, their high price, the lack of charging points and the time it takes to recharge them, their limited performance, their reduced autonomy and the unsustainability of their batteries all reduce their appeal. Nor should we forget that, as a private vehicle, it still consumes far more resources than public transport, despite being more environmentally friendly.

Green transportation: examples of new urban models

These new challenges in urban mobility have given rise to numerous and innovative projects, both public and private, that seek to provide green transportation alternatives. One such example is the start-up Scoobic Urban Mobility, winner of the Santander X Environmental Challenge to build a more sustainable future. 

Scoobic Urban Mobility was born out of the need to solve a logistical problem, leading them to develop “smaller, electric, autonomous and connected last-mile vehicles to promote sustainable mobility and reduce CO₂ emissions in large cities”. 

The idea came from the realisation that the size of motorcycles and cars had not changed in more than a hundred years, making them unsuitable for modern needs, especially home deliveries. This is why they decided to offer an environmental solution in the form of electric vehicles, designed to be both ergonomic for the driver and practical for the logistics of companies.

Some cities have also taken up the challenge of implementing a greener transportation system, such as Rio de Janeiro with its electric tram. This vehicle can carry up to 420 passengers per trip, is cable-free and is powered at various points along its 28-kilometre route. But the innovation does not stop there: the city has also set up a smart Operations Centre equipped with cameras and strategic devices to share data across city departments, thus helping to reduce congestion in the city centre, among other things.

Other European cities, such as Barcelona, have also developed their own urban mobility plans. In the case of the Catalan city, the main focus is on giving strategic priority to pedestrians and cyclists, reducing the use of private cars and promoting public transportation.

The importance of green transportation

Urban transport requires comprehensive planning and holistic measures with a worldly view. More than just designing vehicles that operate without using non-renewable energy, widening pavements to make more space for pedestrians or building new cycle lanes, we need to think about how to make more efficient use of urban space to ensure that it is accessible to all, and about the use of new technologies, such as big data, to create smart cities.

After all, we live in an ever-changing world, meaning we have to be able to adapt to an uncertain reality characterised by the technological revolution and issues such as the green transition. As such, it is essential to stay current and to continue learning in order to have the necessary skills and knowledge to ensure the sustainable development of society.

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