What is sustainability ?
Resume:
Sustainability is crucial for viable long-term growth.
The evolving idea of sustainable development
A growing awareness of the impact of man’s activities on planet earth and our dwindling resources gave birth to the ecological movement in the 1970s. The concept of sustainable development was formally defined in the 1987 Brundtland Report as development “that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs”.
For mobility to be economically sustainable it must provide users and businesses with affordable and attractive transport options. To be socially sustainable transport must promote access for all, and contribute to creating healthy and vibrant communities. Finally an environmentally sustainable mobility should leave no burdens for future generations.
Our planet at a historic juncture
Robust findings and facts demonstrate that our world is changing apace. The global population is growing and becoming increasingly urban. The demand for mobility, private vehicles and energy is burgeoning. Emissions of greenhouse gases, including CO₂, are on the rise. Evidence for global warming through natural climate variations is unequivocal and through human activities is “very likely” (IPCC). Rightly or wrongly climate change is supplanting trade and human rights as the biggest issue on the global agenda. Globalization has ensured that the repercussions of each successive crisis – oil, food and financial – have rippled worldwide. Current growth and development are not sustainable. Our global footprint shows we are no longer living within the means of our planet. Mankind must adapt to a future of uncertainties with thoughtful and rational responses.
And is today’s mobility sustainable?
Today the transport sector, with its core business to supply mobility, is energy hungry and strongly dependent on fossil fuels. As a result it is a high emitter of greenhouse gases. The total number of vehicles in the global fleet is growing rapidly. Urban mobility on most continents suffers from congestion, local pollution, poor and inadequate infrastructure, lack of coordinated planning and increased road safety risks for road users. In view of all these challenges facing the transport industry today’s mobility is clearly not sustainable. The industry has a key contribution to make to mitigate its negative impacts and take full advantage of all the potential solutions.
Read also:
- What is mobility?
- Is mobility as we know it sustainable?
- Mobility challenged by unsustainable trends
Categories: Fossil fuels - Climate change - Emissions - Energy - Sustainable mobility - Urban mobility - Road safety - Vehicles
Keywords: CO2 - Environment - greenhouse gas - Transportation
Follow us on
| 
| 
| 
| 
|
||||
|
||||||||
ARTICLES
By categories
ARTICLES
By keywords
- CO2
- greenhouse gas
- ozone
- Tires
- green tire
- motorization
- HCCI
- ABS
- Start and stop
- Adherence
- surpercharging
- electric
- battery
- hybrid
- Brakes
- downsizing
- bioethanol
- hydrogen
- Natural gas
- Transportation
- Infrastructure
- Eco-driving
- UN
- WBCSD
- Accidents
- Recycling
- safety
- video
- Berlin 2011
- Environment
- France
- USA
- Europa
- Asia
- Incentive
- Solutrans
- Truck & Bus
- fuel efficiency