Among the actions required to meet the 2030 goals for sustainable development and decarbonised mobility is the necessary increase of e-mobility infrastructure, which will change the way we experience travel and buildings that are newly constructed or under renovation. Let’s take a look at how the European Parliament is moving in this direction, to meet the deadlines and goals set for the near and distant future.

First of all, it is important to remember that the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development is divided into goals and sub-goals, to ensure that the actions, measures, decrees and collective efforts are more precise and targeted.

With regard to sustainable mobility infrastructure, goal 11 (make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, durable and sustainable) and goal 13 (take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts) are particularly appropriate.

Goal 11 gives very useful data to understand the situation:

•  Half the world’s population lives in cities

•  by 2030 almost 60% of the world’s population will live in urban areas

•  Cities occupy just 3% of the Earth’s land, but account for 60-80% of energy consumption and 75% of carbon emissions

•  The high density of cities can bring efficiency gains and technological innovation while reducing the consumption of resources and energy.

(Goal 11 of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development)

Here we find a sub-goal to guide European decisions towards an urban plan based on sustainable mobility:

“By 2030, provide access to [...] accessible and sustainable transport systems for all, [...] expanding public transport, with special attention to the needs of those in vulnerable situations, women, children, persons with disabilities and older persons”

How are these goals translated into practical decisions by the European Parliament and member states?

The medium-term goal is to halt all production of petrol and diesel cars by 2035. A 100% reduction of emissions, which will mean that only green vehicles are registered from that date onwards.

In preparation for that goal, within six years, manufacturers should produce cars with emissions reduced by 55% and 50% for commercial vehicles. This will give rise to the need for widespread infrastructure, in which cities and territories will need to invest in order to power the new hybrid and electric cars.

Other European targets for the nearer future or in the process of being implemented are those discussed in the previous articles: by 2026, the EU’s main highways must offer users an electric charging station every 60 km. In addition, private charging points must be installed in new buildings and those undergoing major renovation.

The estimates by Motus-E show a positive trend in the accessibility and diffusion of electric vehicles, despite a slight decrease in January 2024.

At the end of 2023, there were 220,188 electric cars on the road in Italy, in other words, an increase of 35.11% compared to 2022. For the first month of 2024, the estimate is 222,711, down 11.6% from January 2023.

The excellent progress in infrastructure must, however, be matched by a speedy implementation process for Ecobonus 2024, to allow the population to invest in electric mobility and help the market and institutions consolidate their actions and projects for sustainable and clean urban mobility.