Towards a Just and Climate Neutral Mobility

The European Union’s Green Deal and the Fit for 55 package require Member States to ensure that the transition to climate neutrality is fair and inclusive. Transport poverty—defined as lacking the financial means and/or access to essential mobility—has emerged as a key social challenge linked to climate action. Under the new Social Climate Fund regulation, Member States must define transport poverty, collect reliable data and design measures to protect vulnerable groups as they submit their Social Climate Plans by 2025. Yet Croatia, Hungary, Serbia and Germany lack clear definitions, data and governance tools, and transport poverty is mostly absent from national strategies. By generating evidence and supporting institutional capacity, the project strengthens these countries’ ability to implement their Social Climate Plans and align with the Sustainable and Smart Mobility Strategy and EU Recommendation 2025/1021 on transport poverty.

The project supports public institutions in Croatia, Hungary, Serbia and Germany in addressing transport poverty through data collection and analysis, capacity-building and co-creation. The team develops national definitions and indicators, conducts surveys and prepares diagnosis reports to reveal mobility barriers faced by vulnerable groups. Together with municipalities, the project builds skills through workshops and develops pilot projects that test low-emission mobility solutions. Climathon events engage innovators, students and civil society to co-create practical ideas that improve access to essential services. Policymakers benefit from tailored recommendations for integrating social justice into mobility planning, while local authorities gain tools for implementing their Social Climate Plans. Through storytelling, public dialogues and knowledge-sharing formats, the project raises awareness of transport poverty and fosters EU-wide learning. By strengthening institutional capacity and providing practical models, the project enables more inclusive and climate-neutral mobility policies at national and local levels.