The World Economic Forum (WEF) said there has to be fewer vehicles on roads to limit climate change. .“By mid-century, demand for urban travel is set to double,” said WEF Head of Urban Transformation Jeff Merritt and Visa Chief Sustainability Officer Douglas Sabo in a report. .“Along our current trajectory, that would mean 2.1 billion passenger vehicles emitting 4.6 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide by 2050.” .The report said there's another way. It said growing the use of shared, electric, connected, and automated (SEAM) transportation modes and a shift to more compact cities could reduce projected vehicle numbers to 500 million in 2050. .In turn, this could slash emissions from vehicles by 80% compared to a business-as-usual scenario, reducing the amount of carbon emissions in the atmosphere by 3.9 billion tonnes per year. .The report went on to say passenger vehicles cause more than half of urban air pollution, which led to 1.8 million excess deaths in 2019 and two million cases of asthma in children. Therefore, electrifying transportation will deliver cleaner, healthier air for city residents. .It said fewer vehicles will reduce congestion and decrease the need for expensive roads, highways, and maintenance. Estimated cost savings of embracing a SEAM strategy to the world’s economy could total $5 trillion per year by 2050. .Merritt and Sabo acknowledged electrification cannot deliver the results alone. They added the key “lies in the synergy between electrification, increasing the use of shared transport (such as public transport, shared vehicles, and micromobility), and creating more compact cities.” .The transportation sector is responsible for 60% of global oil demand, so accelerating the transition to electric vehicles would have to be a priority. Syncing electrification with a transition to shared transportation could deliver a reduction in emissions and tackle issues such as congestion, safety, and inefficient space allocation. .Merritt and Sabo concluded by saying designing 15-minute cities can “maximize opportunities for emissions reductions while creating more livable cities.”.“Crucially, compact cities also offer an opportunity to revitalize urban areas, creating more economically viable communities by enhancing local services and encouraging mixed-use districts,” they said. .Concordia University student Alexa Posa organized a protest against 15-minute cities in Edmonton on Whyte Avenue in February. .READ MORE: Yegunited protests 15 minute cities in Edmonton.Posa said she is worried about how the world looks now. ."It’s our future that’s slowly being destroyed," she said.
