Sustainable transport plays a crucial role in realizing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), specifically through SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure), SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities), SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being), and SDG 13 (Climate Action). By fostering an inclusive and sustainable transportation system, we can facilitate social and economic development, mitigate environmental damage, and improve the overall quality of life.
In the context of SDG 9, sustainable transport infrastructure fosters economic growth and innovation by enabling the movement of goods and services, promoting regional integration, and enhancing access to markets. It also drives industrial sustainability by fostering energy-efficient modes of transport and facilitating the transition to a low-carbon economy.
Under SDG 11, sustainable transport is key to creating sustainable cities and communities. It enhances urban mobility, reduces congestion, and mitigates air pollution, thereby improving the quality of life in urban areas. Public transportation, cycling, and walking, as components of sustainable transport, also promote social inclusion by ensuring everyone, including the poor, the disabled, and the elderly, can access opportunities and services.
For SDG 3, sustainable transport can improve public health. Reducing the reliance on private vehicles decreases air and noise pollution, mitigating respiratory diseases, and reducing stress levels. Furthermore, encouraging active transport modes, such as walking and cycling, can combat sedentary lifestyles and associated health issues, such as obesity and heart diseases.
In relation to SDG 13, sustainable transport plays a vital role in combating climate change. The transportation sector is one of the major contributors to greenhouse gas emissions, thus, shifting towards sustainable transport, such as electric vehicles or public transport, can significantly reduce carbon emissions and help mitigate the effects of climate change.
Despite its benefits, achieving sustainable transport requires addressing multiple challenges, such as the high upfront costs of sustainable transport infrastructure, the lack of institutional capacity, and resistance from vested interests. Policies and strategies should be implemented to encourage the use of sustainable transport and ensure its affordability and accessibility to all members of society.
The development of new high-efficiency magnets and/or electric traction motors using a limited amount of critical rare earths or none at all is crucial for the large-scale deployment of electric vehicles (EVs) and related applications, such as hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) and e-bikes. For these applications, we estimated the short-term demand for high-performing NdFeB magnets and their constituent rare earths: neodymium, praseodymium and dysprosium. In 2020, EV, HEV and e-bike applications combined could require double the amount used in 2015.
Challenges and Opportunities in Urban Public Transportation, Chapter 7, 2017, Pages 95–107
Transportation geotechnics associated with constructing and maintaining properly functioning transportation infrastructure is a very resource intensive activity. Large amounts of materials and natural resources are required, consuming proportionately large amounts of energy and fuel. Thus, the implementation of the principles of sustainability is important to reduce energy consumption, carbon footprint, greenhouse gas emissions, and to increase material reuse/recycling, for example.
This paper looks ahead, beyond the projected large-scale market penetration of vehicles containing advanced batteries, to the time when the spent batteries will be ready for final disposition. It describes a working system for recycling, using lead-acid battery recycling as a model. Recycling of automotive lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries is more complicated and not yet established because few end-of-life batteries will need recycling for another decade. There is thus the opportunity now to obviate some of the technical, economic, and institutional roadblocks that might arise.
