This week, the 26th UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26) takes place in Glasgow, bringing all sides together to accelerate action towards the goals of the Paris Agreement and the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change. The Paris Agreement at COP21 in 2015 saw, for the first time, almost every country around the world enter into a legally binding commitment to reduce emissions. ERTICO – ITS Europe places great importance on creating safer, smarter and cleaner transport services and networks for the benefit of all.
Through innovative projects, and together with engaging Partners, ERTICO is working hard towards shared ambitions on sustainable mobility through decarbonisation, in parallel with the goals set out by the European Commission’s Green Deal and the COP26’s 2030 emissions reductions targets that aim to reach net zero by the middle of the century. One of the four goals in the COP26 Summit is to secure global net-zero by mid-century and keep 1.5 degrees within reach. To deliver these stretching targets, the COP26 Summit urges countries to:
- accelerate the phase-out of coal
- curtail deforestation
- speed up the switch to electric vehicles
- encourage investment in renewables.
Develop, Promote, and Deploy Intelligent Transport Systems
In line with the COP26 goal, ERTICO strives to develop, promote and deploy intelligent mobility services by providing a multi-stakeholder platform for action. Together with pioneering and innovative leaders that make up our Partnership, ERTICO seeks to achieve greener services and products, assess the impact on the environment, and work with other stakeholders to facilitate effective deployment of these solutions through various activities, Projects & Innovative Platforms.
ERTICO is actively working on developing electro-mobility and associated services such as interoperable electric vehicle charging. Sustainability, digitalisation and efficiency are key drivers within ERTICO’s focus areas of Connected and Automated Driving, Transport and Logistics, Urban Mobility, and Clean Mobility. By bringing intelligence into mobility towards sustainable, efficient and safe mobility, ERTICO strives to reduce the impact on the environment, cause zero delays, create fully informed users, and ensure zero accidents.
‘Whilst the pandemic had a major impact on our lives, it also offered a unique opportunity to rethink the future, re-evaluate and re-organise an innovative way of living, including reshaping a greener, safer, and more efficient way of life. Never before has it been so fundamental to provide safe and secure transport for essential workers. ERTICO continuously strives to offer new alternatives in micro-mobility and provide efficient logistic solutions for shops and home deliveries’, comments Jacob Bangsgaard, ERTICO CEO.
Reducing Carbon Footprints and Emissions
Smart mobility innovations reduce the impact of transport on the environment, particularly in terms of reducing fuel consumption and emissions. By deploying intelligent transport solutions, ERTICO aims to reduce the carbon footprint and emissions by helping transport users and providers make smarter decisions. To achieve this, systems and services need to be made more efficient and attractive through greater interoperability and better information. It is from this angle that ERTICO approaches its work in the area of Clean Mobility.
Through the Innovation Platforms and projects run under this focus area; ERTICO is working to achieve the milestones of its Clean Mobility 2030 Roadmap and the vision of widespread zero-emission mobility in urban and non-urban areas. Innovative technologies, connectivity and automation, can drive the decarbonisation of transport, improve cleaner technologies for better air quality and tackle congestion.
One of ERTICO’s leading initiatives in this field is the ‘ERTICO City Moonshot‘ project that aims to engage, inspire and empower cities by discussing their mobility challenges, needs and trends. By interviewing 300 cities worldwide, ERTICO City Moonshot is working to create a unique knowledge database, where interviewed cities will be able to directly express their needs and interests in how they wish to shape and improve their mobility systems. It will also enable the ITS industry to adapt their offerings to cities further and lead to faster uptake of intelligent mobility solutions. With the share of the global population living in cities and megacities growing by the day, ERTICO City Moonshot’s results will have a long-lasting and tangible impact and make our cities smarter by improving the way we live and move. To exploit thoroughly the opportunities offered by digitalisation, ERTICO City Moonshot focuses on data sharing; Mobility as a Service, and policy priorities on sustainability and the role of transport.
Together for tomorrow’s journey is the mantra of ERTICO and its 120 strong Partnership.
Would you like to learn more about being an ERTICO Partner? Contact Agne Vaitekenaite, Partnership Officer: a.vaitekenaite@mail.ertico.com
Learn more about the COP26 Goals.
Access ERTICO’s Annual Report for more information about the partnerships and activities.