Delivering the EU-2030 and Long Term Climate Objectives in Central, Eastern and Southern Europe, with a Specific Focus on Transport

Transport emissions are an increasing problem for the EU, and its emissions are projected not to decrease in the coming years if no action is taken. For measures to be adopted, the EU member states need to have strong and strict climate policy and regulation. These policies are thought to be a motivation for and leading to the implementation of existing measures to decarbonise the transport sector, such as improvement in efficiency standards for cars, cleaner energy for transport (such as renewable electricity), promotion of public transport, etc.   The EU Effort Sharing Regulation is an essential starting point for these measures to kick off. This regulation has been finalised in the EU context, and member states have to implement. Transport & Environment has more than 25 years expertise on transport decarbonisation policies. While working in different specific topics (aviation, energy for transport, cars, etc.), T&E, together with its members, also focuses on European climate policy to make it strong, meaningful and fit-for-purpose, in order to achieve EU’s own climate goals as well as those acquired through the UNFCCC’s Paris Agreement.

The role of NGOs and civil society in the national and regional decision-making process was enhanced by encouraging intra-EU dialogue among the target countries and others, promoting the exchange of best practices and identification of opportunities. The project coordinators and the project implementing partners have created an EU platform that stimulated intra-EU dialogue, shared best practices and informed national debates with a view to delivering the EU’s 2030 climate targets defined by the Effort Sharing Regulation. The platform’s focus is to reduce road transport emissions and demonstrating how reduced fuel use helps create socio-economic opportunities. NGO-capacity were built in five Central, Eastern and Southern (CES) countries: Spain, Italy, Poland, Romania, and Hungary. By conducting research and providing accurate information on emission reduction potential, economic opportunities and innovation, the partnership aimed at having a positive impact in the national climate and energy legislation that will fulfill the EU’s climate and energy objectives.

• Greater civil society involvement: The creation of an EU-wide forum strengthened dialogue between civil society actors from Spain, Italy, Poland, Romania and Hungary. NGOs were able to broaden their expertise on emissions reduction in the transport sector and subsequently contribute to national debates, thereby supporting the achievement of the EU's 2030 climate targets under the Effort Sharing Regulation.
• Broad participation and media visibility: A total of 600 people took part in the project's events and dialogue formats. The project's results were reported in 14 media articles, which increased the visibility and recognition of the NGO perspective in the political debate. In addition, the project outcomes were developed further beyond the end of the project with the help of subsequent EU LIFE funding.
• Transport as a lever for climate action and innovation: The project demonstrated how low-emission mobility opens up socio-economic opportunities – for example, through lower fuel consumption, innovation in the transport sector and local value creation. At the same time, the project revealed the different starting points and political priorities in the partner countries – an important learning moment for the further development of target group-specific NGO strategies for climate-friendly mobility.