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Green growth in transport: the way forward Green growth fosters a multi-disciplinary platform

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Securing Malta and Gozo as a place for green transport and guaranteeing the necessary training and qualifications are two key pillars. Photo: Shutterstock.com

Through growing partnerships and engagement with our cofounders we are steadily working together to deliver value. During the past year, I have had the privilege and ample opportunity to witness the professional approach and care that the Foundation for Transport’s cofounders adopt in conveying their respective mission and vision. Our strong collaboration will definitely enable excellence and my heartfelt gratitude goes to each and every one of them as their strong belief in the Foundation and their commitment to introduce and promote the Foundation to well established networks have enlarged the outreach to local and international stakeholders. Such a wide perspective of articles for this Supplement would not have been possible.

In 96 months’ time we will be in 2030. If the milestones set by the EU Commission in the proposed Sustainable and Smart Mobility Strategy materialize, by then, we will have in Europe 30 million zero-emission cars and 80,000 zero-emission lorries in operation and zero-emission ocean-going vessels for the market. Five years thereon, in 2035 we will have large zero-emission aircraft ready for the market.

The Foundation for Transport is rightly placed within the industry to accelerate the adoption of greener technologies and the dispersion of tangible knowledge. We are not discussing whether science is right or wrong, but we are actually studying the impact of these technologies on the operations and the alignment of the vision and plans of businesses with the changes they bring about. And there is no better place than to work together hand in hand with all industry players!

Growing businesses using green technologies for the long term has finally become a hot topic. Green growth in transport, and not only, requires investment in human capital, aligned with educational institutions, the new national employment policy for the coming ten years, the planned Foreign Direct Investment and national policies for post-COVID recovery, low carbon development strategy and the greening of transport altogether.

The Foundation for Transport is rightly placed within the industry to accelerate the adoption of greener technologies and the dispersion of tangible knowledge

We must be innovative and up the game and make better use of the Work-based Learning Act which came into force a couple of years ago, but I think it can be one of the necessary tools to integrate multi-sector needs.

Green growth needs the integration of multi-sector needs and a holistic multi-disciplinary platform. This will structure the discussions on strategic decisions in the field of mobility. As we all know, changes in the mobility sector are accompanied by far-reaching technical, legal and social changes.

This platform can clarify facts on complex topics and brings together relevant stakeholders, technical expertise and policymakers. Based on the results from discussion, recommendations for action can be made thereon to policymakers and businesses. The structured approach will enhance visibility of the holistic impact of and can visualise the dashboard of all key factors in the greening process of Malta and Gozo.

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Such an effort brings about a wide range of disciplines in connection with transport. So various working groups or focus groups can be set up to tackle transport and climate change and alternative drive technologies and fuels for sustainable mobility. Securing Malta and Gozo as a place for green transport and guaranteeing the necessary training and qualification are two key pillars. Connecting mobility with energy and other sectoral needs undoubtedly links standardization, norms, certification and type approval.

We are not reinventing the wheel, as such set-ups do exist in other countries to evaluate uncertainties and vulnerabilities, challenges, and opportunities, operationalize green growth holistically across multiple sectors and outline green policies and programmes that increase national and/or private sector productivity and job creation. They also play a vital role in providing clear and specific technical concepts and activity planning and in rolling out small scale pilot projects that can become large-scale follow-up projects.

Places of work and private residences need to share cleaner and safer environment and a holistic approach can enable a shared neighbourhood concept whereby businesses’ and residences’ needs for spaces are complementary and not competing. The adoption of new technologies needs a national awareness campaign giving insights and on the ground assistance.

The Foundation for Transport, positioned in the heart of the industry, can be an active player in this proposed structure. We believe that adapting to innovation can be a game-changer.

Jeannette Axisa is Director General, Foundation for Transport

One can access ALL published articles within the Foundation for Transport, first year anniversary, Times of Malta, commemorating supplement from the below specific links:

Green growth in transport: the way forward

https://timesofmalta.com/articles/view/green-growth-in-transport-the-way-forward.917797

Shoreside power at Grand Harbour to drastically slash nitrogen oxide emissions

https://timesofmalta.com/articles/view/shoreside-power-at-grand-harbour-to-drastically-slash-nitrogen-oxide.917824

Grants for EVs: A consumer-centric approach

https://timesofmalta.com/articles/view/grants-for-evs-a-consumer-centric-approach.917842

A smart island state

https://timesofmalta.com/articles/view/a-smart-island-state.917815

Facing the challenges of the twin transitions together

https://timesofmalta.com/articles/view/facing-the-challenges-of-the-twin-transitions-together.917782

SMEs: Driving green and inclusive growth

https://timesofmalta.com/articles/view/smes-driving-green-and-inclusive-growth.917833