Future priorities for a climate-friendly transport: A European strategic research agenda toward 2030

Research is a key factor for a successful reduction in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from transport. This article summarizes the main results of REACT, a project cofinanced by the European Commission, which aimed to develop a European Strategic Research Agenda for low GHG transport. A literature review and a multistage expert consultation process were used to map technological and nontechnological research areas and evaluate them according to different criteria (i.e., GHG emissions reduction, cost-efficiency, feasibility, time frame of research stages). We consulted the research agendas of the European Technologies Platforms on transport and current EU research programs. Expert opinions were collected through web forms, interviews, and participation in structured workshops. The REACT Research Agenda identified the following research priorities for a more climate-friendly transport system by 2030: (a) in the short term, cost-effective solutions consist of (1) more efficient, lighter vehicles with advanced internal combustion engines, (2) reducing road transport demand and (3) fostering GHG emission legislation; (b) in the medium/long term, the focus shifts toward (1) electric vehicles and hydrogen, (2) Intelligent Transport Systems, and (3) spatial planning and economic and social measures to reduce transport demand. In addition, one of the main findings identified strong links between technology research and planning, social sciences, and economy.