With each passing year, the importance of sustainability impresses itself more firmly within contemporary culture. Sustainable choices have revolutionised our daily lives, ‘going green’ is featured in most businesses’ mission statements and political strategies, and it is a top priority for digital innovations. More recently, terms like ‘sustainable technology’ and ‘e-mobility’ firmly entered the conversation, and it looks like these ideas have already started to transform the transport industry and the future of mobility.
What is sustainable technology?
As the world faces imminent environmental risks – including the depletion of natural resources, air-pollution and ozone layer depletion, among others – ‘sustainable technology’ has become the shining beacon of hope in our vision for a healthier and more sustainable future.
When referring to ’sustainable technology’, the term covers a range of innovations that prioritise environmental sustainability, from LED light technology to electric vehicles. Yet, whether designed to replace current unsustainable technology, actively prevent or counteract environmental issues, or else increase energy efficiency, all are bound together by a common goal: sustainability.
While the idea of sustainable technology might feel oxymoronic, sustainability and technology should not be natural enemies, where one may exist solely at the expense of the other. On the contrary, within an era of digital transformation and constant technological advancements, technology can be the key to address current environmental plights.
What is e-mobility and why is it important?
The European commission defines e-mobility, or electro mobility, as “clean and efficient transport, using electric vehicles, powered either by batteries or by hydrogen fuel cells.”
According to an article published by The Lancet Planetary Health journal, nine million deaths per year are caused by pollution in the air. In the face of such statistics, unclean air has become a concern for all major cities and countries around the world and, since a large percentage of the pollutants in the air are derived from vehicle emissions, the transport industry has been identified as a major contributor to this global crisis. More about finding a sustainable alternative than assigning blame, the challenge has been in finding ways to reduce emissions from transport vehicles, whilst offering people a safe, accessible and economical means of travelling.
As part of its quest to promote sustainable technology, for over a decade, the European Commission has directed its focus towards creating forms of mobility that are energy-efficient, sustainable and kind to the environment. In fact, back in 2010, the European Commission named investing in the development of sustainable transport systems a main priority while, more recently, in 2020, the European Commission’s ‘Sustainable and Smart Mobility Strategy’ spoke of reducing 90 per cent of the transport sector’s carbon footprint by 2050 (p. 2, 2020).
Key to this noble goal has been the European Commission’s ‘Fit for 55' deal; an agreement which states that “all new cars and vans registered in Europe will be zero-emission by 2035”.It looks like the shift to e-mobility could very well play a major role in lowering greenhouse gas emissions. In point of fact, Electric Vehicles (EVs) – by which we may include private and commercial cars, buses, e-scooters and others – have already revolutionised the global market.
According to the International Council of Clean Transportation’s 2022 annual report, the global sales of electric cars more than doubled in 2021, reaching a record breaking 6.9 million. Certainly, their potential to steer the global population towards net-zero emissions has spiked their popularity, and with this alluring prospect in mind, more countries and organisations are lending their support to this crucial transition towards sustainable mobility. Undeniably, the e-mobility revolution is present and it looks like this is just what the world needs to ensure a safe and healthy future for generations to come.