Clini: “Flexible, efficient and zero-emission: here is the future of mobility”

 

“The costs of congestion and air pollution are pushing towards a new model of urban mobility: more flexible, efficient and zero-emission”. Former Italian minister of Environment, Corrado Clini, explains to Adnkronos news agency his view of the future of mobility.

“While the annual cost of congestion in Beijing is at least 11.3 billion dollars, and it is 13 billion dollars in the US – Clini says – in Italy, according to a study by Confcommercio, the cost is 11 billion a year. However, figures are probably underestimated because five Italian cities are among the top 100 most congested cities in the world: Rome is on the 13th place, then Milan, Naples, Palermo and Catania”

The other side of the problem is represented by air pollution. “In 2025 – Clini argues – the growth in fuel consumption in urban traffic will determine an increase in emissions of CO2 (+30% compared to 2005), fine particles and nitrogen oxides, exceeding health protection limits set by the World Health Organization”.

According to Clini, an effective response to traffic and air pollution could come from the sharing economy. Three are the strengths of this choice: “Firstly, it allows supply to be adequate to meet the needs of a flexible demand of mobility. Secondly, it is efficient: if you look at the actual time of use and the time/cost of parking, private vehicles limit the efficiency of transport. Finally, car sharing can be used to give priority to zero-emission and possibly driverless vehicles”.