European Public Health Alliance: Urban Mobility has to change – substantively and fast

The European Public Health Alliance (EPHA) calls for a sharper drive of effective Sustainable Urban Mobility Plans (SUMPs) as the backbone for healthy, ecological sound and economical viable urban mobility development. EPHA points to the most recent report on “Climate Change 2021” by the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) as well as the new WHO Air Quality Guidelines to highlight that public transport and active mobility are the most sustainable, affordable, democratic, dependable, and resilient transport modes, and the most solid foundation on which to build the changes we need to tackle the threats posed by the climate crisis.

EPHA joins forces with public transport stakeholders to express for more targeted SUMPs in order to substantiate the EU’s climate neutrality objectives, alongside improving social inclusion and equality to access of transport options. Clean, affordable, and attractive public transport as well as the promotion of walking and cycling need to be put at the centre of urban mobility development.

EPHA states that it needs a comprehensive approach that tackles environmental challenges, achieves renewed economic growth and enhances health and wellbeing, which is linked with ensuring important societal objectives of affordable and accessible mobility. These key points are central to the development and delivery of the EU’s Urban Mobility Initiative:

• ensure that Sustainable Urban Mobility Plans (SUMPs) accelerate the uptake of sustainable and collective mobility;
• support sustainable mobility with appropriate funding opportunities;
• create multimodal mobility on the ground and by harnessing the benefits of data.

You can read the full statement alongside its signatories here.

Article published first at European Public Health Alliance. on 23 September 2021.