Transport Research Arena. Greece, 23-26 April 2012

Posted on: 22 November 2012
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The main theme of this European transport research event, which takes place every two years, is that of sustainable mobility through innovation. It deals extensively with all surface transport modes: road, rail and waterborne and underlines the interlinks between them. Papers from the event are available in an issue Procedia: Social and Behavioural Sciences.

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London 2012: from vision to reality

Posted on: 15 November 2012
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The Commission for a Sustainable London 2012’s assessment of the games found that a target to produce zero landfill waste and to recycle 70 per cent of this were on track. It also found that the transport system delivered an “excellent” service, thanks to effective planning. However, the report argued that the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games missed an opportunity to maximize the potential reduction in carbon emissions.

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The CIVITAS Initiative

Posted on: 14 November 2012
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The CIVITAS Initiative (“City-Vitality-Sustainability”, or “Cleaner and Better Transport in Cities”) was launched in 2002. Its fundamental aim is to support cities to introduce ambitious transport measures and policies towards sustainable urban mobility. The goal of CIVITAS is to achieve a significant shift in the modal split towards sustainable transport, an objective reached through encouraging both innovative technology and policy-based strategies. The following reports have recently been published:

City to city. Similar challenges: Sharing experiences and solutions

As transport is a very sensitive political issue in all cities, the aspects of political decision-making, of citizen participation and of involving the media are extremely important. As important as good examples is the direct and frank exchange about “lessons learned” when things did not develop as planned. Such exchanges require an atmosphere of trust – which we found in many examples within the CIVITAS Initiative. This publication contains a number of examples how such exchange worked. It represents a range of themes and procedures.

CIVITAS guide for the urban transport professional. Results and lessons from the long-term evaluation of the CIVITAS initiative

During the ten years of the CIVITAS Initiative, more than 730 technical and policy-based urban transport measures have been developed and implemented. In several evaluations of their impacts and processes, valuable lessons for implementation in other cities were derived. This handbook adds a more long term focus to those evaluations. It shows to what extent CIVITAS functions as a catalyst for the intended paradigm shift towards new urban sustainable mobility. For mobility professionals working for city authorities, CIVITAS has much to offer in that respect: numerous examples of successful measures that, embedded in urban mobility policies, give substance to the transition towards cleaner and better urban transport. This handbook provides access to those examples.

CIVITAS cities speak out

CIVITAS aims to help cities remove the barriers that prevent sustainable urban transport, whether technical, economic, social, or political. recognizing the impact politicians have, and reflecting on the advances already made by CIVITAS member cities, leaders from seven CIVITAS cities (Bremen, Gothenburg, Graz, Krakow, Nantes, Rome and Toulouse) were interviewed on how they are changing the way their cities look at urban transport.

Sustainable Urban Mobility Plans

Posted on: 14 November 2012
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This website supports local authorities across Europe in developing Sustainable Urban Mobility Plans. It is financed by the European Union under the Intelligent Energy – Europe (IEE) Programme, which is managed by the Executive Agency for Competitiveness and Innovation (EACI).

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Low carbon bus calculator

Posted on: 7 November 2012
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This toolkit is designed to be used by bus operators and local authorities to calculate the likely benefits on investing in a low carbon emission bus.

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Sustainability: a cultural history

Posted on: 5 November 2012
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A review to Ulrich Grober’s work on the origin and history of sustainability, Sustainability: a cultural history, suggests that the fashion for labelling as “sustainable” everything from fossil fuel extraction to the latest washing powder risks rendering the term almost completely meaningless. The author sets out to capture its inner meaning, the essence of the term, through an exploration of its origin and development.

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Member States in top gear: Opportunities for national policies to reduce GHG emissions in transport

Posted on: 1 November 2012
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The Dutch Advisory Council for the Environment and Infrastructure (RLI) has chosen the decarbonisation of the transport sector as a central topic for the annual conference of the network of European Environmental and Sustainable Development Advisory Councils (EEAC), held in Rotterdam on 11 October 2012. As part of the preparation for this conference, the RLI commissioned CE Delft to carry out a study on the national policies for the decarbonisation of transport. This study provides an overview of the main trends regarding transport in EU Member States as well as an in-depth analysis of relevant policies. Both existing policies and national studies and visions on long term decarbonisation strategies have been assessed. The analysis was based on various EU wide data sets from EEA, the European Commission and other stakeholders and also a literature review. Furthermore more detailed data on existing and planned policies has been gathered for ten selected Member States with the support of national experts.

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Mobility for poor: Improving informal transport. New Delhi, 3-5 October 2012

Posted on: 1 November 2012
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The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) in partnership with UN-Habitat organised a workshop in order to create a holistic understanding of informal transport systems and to facilitate knowledge/experience sharing on challenges and solutions for improving informal modes of transport like cycle rickshaws, shared autos, mini buses, etc. A note is available setting out the objectives of the workshop.

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Sustainability strategies for healthcare estates: Lessons from University College London Hospitals

Posted on: 17 October 2012
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This Information Paper describes the sustainability strategies of the University College London Hospitals (UCLH) NHS Foundation Trust. It aims to share the knowledge and successes of UCLH in implementing sustainability strategies in its healthcare premises. The publication is intended for estates professionals and senior management within the health sector, along with their specialist advisers. Although the examples are specific to NHS Trusts, the model and guidance presented here are relevant across the healthcare sector and the principles can be adapted to other non-health sectors. Price £15.50

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European Green Commerce Conference. Brussels, 19 September 2012

Posted on: 16 October 2012
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This event provided an opportunity to discuss the outcomes from the EU-funded project Green Commerce. The objective of this project was to: involve small businesses in the fight against climate change; promote environmental responsibility in the retail sector; reduce energy use and waste by simple techniques; and stimulate innovation in environment issues with examples of good practice. Presentations are available online.

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