The European Commission (EC) has made a series of proposals to achieve a 60% reduction in carbon emissions by 2050.
To achieve the cuts Europe’s current transport system will requre a “transformation”, said Siim Kallas, vice president of the EC and responsible for transport.
“Transport 2050 is a roadmap for a competitive transport sector that increases mobility and cuts emissions,” he said.
By 2050, the key goals will include having no conventionally-fuelled cars in cities, and 50% of passengers on intercity journeys of more than 300km travelling by rail.
In addition, 40% of the fuels used in aviation will need to be from sustainable low carbon sources, and the Single European Sky scheme must be fully functional.
The future of transport in Europe must mean both an increase in mobility and a reduction in emissions, said Kallas.
“We can and we must do both,” he said. “The widely held belief that you need to cut mobility to fight climate change is completely not true.
“Curbing mobility is not an option; neither is business as usual.”
The transport system’s dependance on oil can be broken withou sacrificing efficiency and mobility, Kallas added: “It can be win-win.”