During the World Urban Forum in Katowice (Poland), from June 24th till 30th, sustainable urban mobility was the hot topic.
WUF is an organization of United Nation’s Human Settlements Programme which addresses topics related to the challenges caused by the fast urbanisation of society. Since 70% of the world’s population will be living in cities by 2030 and since 70% of CO2 emissions will be produced in urban areas, special needs -amongst which adequate and sustainable urban mobility- are to be answered for.
Busworld Foundation represented the bus industry in several conferences to inform the 22.000 representatives of local and regional governments, NGO’s and other policy makers from all over the world that zero emission bus technology is ready. However, achieving the goals of zero emission bus services is only possible if three conditions -external to the bus industry stakeholders- are being fulfilled :
First is the guaranteed supply of energy, whether it be electricity or hydrogen or …
Second is the supply of clean or green energy to the bus operators. If electricity or hydrogen is being produced carbon based, then the implementation of electric buses has no overall effect on the reduction of greenhouse gasses.
Third is the absolute need for financial support for public and private bus operators, when implementing zero emission buses or motorcoaches.
As a consequence, the electrification of the bus fleet needs to be prioritised in those regions where the share of green electricity in the overall energy production is the biggest.
Besides the energy transition, Busworld Foundation accentuated the importance of the collectivisation of road transport in the struggle to reach the objectives of the Paris agreement. Replacing cars by buses is a well a direct strategy in reducing emissions from transport, as a way to finance the energy transition of the collective transport modes. Knowing that a zero emission traffic jam, is still a traffic jam … bus services were presented as part of the solution for congestion as well as for air pollution.
We are convinced that an intensified dialogue between policy makers and the bus industry itself is urgently needed to facilitate and fasten the implementation of zero emission bus services, worldwide.
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