Mobility Management: Goals and Intentions

Mobility serves to satisfy basic human needs, and transport of goods contributes significantly to economic progress. At the same time, combating the climate crisis in the transport sector is particularly challenging. For the turnaround in carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, clear framework conditions and committed implementation programmes are required. The Mobility Master Plan 2030 shows ways to prevent, shift and improve traffic. The proportion of pedestrian and bicycle traffic, public transport and shared mobility is to be increased significantly.

Since the last strategic planning document for the transport sector – the Overall Transport Plan 2012 – much has changed. Awareness of the climate crisis can now be found at the centre of society. Digitisation has progressed even further. Our life was turned upside down immediately by a pandemic and remains so for the time being. The premises from that time – social, safe, environmentally friendly and efficient – still apply, however.

Climate neutrality 2040 – the objective of the Austrian Federal Government consistent with science – meets the requirements of the Paris Agreement. This objective can only be achieved, however, if all the parties at both the European level and in Austria pull together. The European Green Deal by the European Commission offers this possibility. The ambitious climate objectives of the European Union (EU) for 2030 and beyond will give massive support to the mobility transition in Austria.

The foundation for a desirable future is the planning method of backcasting – i.e. thinking backwards from the objective. For during the development of the Mobility Master Plan 2030, it quickly became clear that a binding element was needed to connect the Target Vision 2040 with the present. The starting point for the Mobility Master Plan is therefore a backcasting model based on a useful mix of traffic prevention, traffic shift and efficiency improvement in the individual transport modes. Research, technology and innovation – “RTI” – play a central role in the further development of mobility.

Using various measures within the framework of the “RTI Strategy Mobility 2040”, the Federal Ministry promotes the cooperation of different scientific disciplines, policy areas and between researchers and users.

The strategies, areas of focus and measures are coordinated with other national, European and international activities and programmes and carried out by the Austrian Research Promotion Agency. The EU framework programme for research and innovation “Horizon Europe” and the associated planned missions and partnerships form key initiatives here.

Climate neutrality in transport

Reaching climate neutrality 2040 in the transport sector is the project of the century. The CO2 emissions must be reduced to almost zero by 2040. Climate-neutral transport will only be successful with a simultaneous transport and energy transition. The latter demands a step-by-step end to fossil fuels and a transition to 100 percent renewable energy in transport. Together, these describe the necessary mobility transition for the mobility system of the future. In air transport, non-CO2 effects must also be taken into account, which take effect at high altitude and can have negative impacts on the climate.

klimaaktiv mobil to school

Exercise is an important foundation for developing a child’s basic skills. Our motorised society strongly restricts the childhood world of experience in this regard and already encourages a lack of exercise in early childhood. With its consultancy and support programmes, the climate protection initiative “klimaaktiv mobil” provides comprehensive support in the development and implementation of climate-friendly energy and mobility concepts, especially for schools and kindergartens too: from the use of a walking bus to the co-design of routes to school, from the establishment of a bicycle workshop to the organisation of a mobility festival, to workshops and mobility days. Numerous bicycle workshops and campaigns have contributed to the implementation of the Cycling Master Plan.

By joining the European Platform on Mobility Management in 2008, Austria was able to provide a broad and prominent European stage for the klimaaktiv mobil programme of the Federal Ministry.