Focus

Public transport and new mobility solutions

© Öko-Institut

Different, more sustainable mobility behaviour is a key component of the mobility transition. Only then will urban quality of life be improved, with reduced noise pollution and emissions. Integral elements of sustainable mobility concepts include the sharing and joint use of vehicles (carsharing and carpooling), and the expansion of the public transport, cycling and walking infrastructures and services. New mobility concepts such as the mobility budget and active mobility are gaining in importance, also in a corporate context.

How can a future vision of sustainable mobility become reality? In many of its research projects, the Oeko-Institut shows the way forward. Its researchers develop scenarios for low-carbon mobility for the local level and for national and international policy-making; they also identify the impacts of policy measures in the areas of local mobility, cycling, public transport and carsharing. To that end, they track greenhouse gas emissions trends and project how more efficient technologies will affect transport volumes, resource use and costs. And lastly, they propose amendments to road traffic legislation and to transport-related taxes and charges in the interests of climate change mitigation.

News

Infographics

  • Infographic from Öko-Institut e.V. titled "What does socially just climate protection mean?" showing strategies for sustainable, socially acceptable climate protection. Central box labeled "Socially Just Climate Protection" connects to three approaches:  Income support (short-term):  Includes transfer payments, climate dividends, and energy payments.  Price adjustments (short-term):  Includes CO₂ levy, reduction of renewable energy levy, and modernization levy.  Reduction in energy consumption and emissions (long-term and lasting):  Split into two areas:  Energy efficiency / renewable energies: building renovation, heating system replacement, climate-friendly mobility.  Behaviour / use: energy-saving advice and sufficiency.  Silhouettes of diverse people are shown at the bottom, representing the inclusive impact of these measures.

    What does socially just climate protection mean?

    Image10/21/2025
    What does socially just climate protection mean? Support for the transition to climate-friendly alternatives is the most important lever for shaping sustainable, socially acceptable climate protection.
  • The twelve largest chemical parks in German industry

    Image07/08/2024
    The twelve largest German chemical parks generated 23 million tonnes of CO2 (mt CO2) in 2022, which corresponds to three percent of German greenhouse gas emissions.
  • Coastal Ecosystems: Blue Carbon Storage

    Image05/29/2024
    Seagrass meadows, mangrove forests and salt marshes can absorb and store up to 216 million tons of carbon from the atmosphere worldwide every year. Over centuries to millennia, they form an enormous carbon store of up to 22,000 million tons of carbon in marine sediment. At the same time, they make an important contribution to the preservation of biodiversity in the oceans and on the coasts, help to protect against storm surges and coastal protection and thus contribute to the nutrition and safety of millions of people. This is shown in a research report by the Öko-Institut and the Leibniz Center for Tropical Marine Research commissioned by the German Environment Agency, which examines the importance of coastal ecosystems for global climate protection.