At the end of 2020, the European Commission unveiled its Sustainable and Smart Mobility Strategy aimed at “putting European transport on track for the future.” As part of the Green Deal, this strategy was built around three main pillars: making all transport modes more sustainable, ensuring that sustainable alternatives are widely available in a multimodal transport system, and putting in place the right incentives to drive the transition. So, where do things stand today?

An ambitious strategy

The roadmap sets strong goals across all areas of mobility. By 2030, it aims to have at least 30 million zero-emission cars and 80,000 zero-emission trucks on European roads, to double rail traffic, make all scheduled collective travel under 500 km within the EU carbon neutral, roll out automated mobility on a large scale, launch zero-emission vessels, and ensure 100 European cities become climate neutral.

It also plans to have zero-emission large aircraft ready for the market by 2035. By 2050, nearly all new cars, vans, buses, and heavy-duty vehicles should be zero-emission, freight rail traffic should double, high-speed rail traffic should triple, and the Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T) should be fully equipped for sustainable, smart transport with high-speed connectivity.

What levers for low-carbon, sustainable mobility?

Modal shift, energy efficiency, travel reduction, active modes of transport, sustainable urban logistics, electrification and alternative fuels (bio-CNG, biofuels, hydrogen), load optimization, and urban planning reforms — these are already known levers to move towards sustainable, low-carbon mobility.

While progress has been made, it’s not fast enough to meet the 2050 target of reducing transport emissions by 90% compared to 1990 levels. This is confirmed by the European Environment Agency’s report on the state of the environment, published on September 29, 2025.

Progress since 1990, but still Room for improvement

According to the report, while efficiency gains have been achieved across the transport sector (both passenger and freight), the total level of transport activity in the EU has increased sharply, offsetting part of these improvements.

Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from the sector rose by 26% between 1990 and 2022, reaching 28.9% of total EU-27 emissions in 2022. While emissions of most air pollutants related to transport (particulates, nitrogen oxides, sulfur oxides) have decreased since 1990, nitrous oxide and ammonia emissions have increased.

Beyond its carbon footprint, the sector also has a high material and water footprint. Producing a vehicle — especially an electric one — has impacts at every stage of its life cycle (extraction of critical or rare materials, water and chemical use in manufacturing, distribution, use, and end-of-life).

Major challenges still ahead

There are still significant challenges to strengthen circularity in the automotive, maritime, and aerospace industries and to achieve sustainable mobility in Europe. Meeting the Green Deal’s goal of a 90% reduction in transport GHG emissions by 2050 requires deep changes in how cars, trucks, planes, and ships are powered and prioritized.

It also means improving charging and refueling infrastructure, developing long-distance and cross-border rail services (high-speed trains, night trains), and advancing new technologies like sustainable fuels for aviation and shipping.

Innovation: A key driver of progress

Innovation plays a crucial role in speeding up this transition. That’s why Pollutec 2025 is dedicating an entire day to mobility. Organized with Cara (the European mobility solutions cluster) and Make a Move (a media outlet for sustainable cities and businesses), this day will feature high-level discussions such as “What transitions for mobility by 2050?”, “Can individual mobility be carbon neutral?”, “Decarbonizing industrial vehicles”, “Territorial planning for real transition”, and “Transitioning public transport: a technical and economic challenge.”

The day will close with pitch sessions from innovative companies in mobility and transport.

Pollutec will also host several exhibitor-led conferences, including “Roads to cool cities,” “Mobility evolution in the Lyon metropolitan area,” “Adapting cities and infrastructure,” “Rethinking urban spaces under climate change,” “Cities in transition: innovating to manage water, reinvent mobility, and adapt to climate,” and “Decarbonizing freight transport.”

Exhibitor innovations across the sector

The solutions presented by exhibitors cover the full range of challenges in the sector. To address the growing demand for critical metals, companies like Mecaware and Weeecycling specialize in metal recovery and purification, allowing reintegration into industrial processes.

In electrification, several players stand out:

• Weg – new ranges of electric motors

• FlexiModal – electric cargo bikes and professional trailers for waste collection

• Gourdon, Groupe Vincent, Hantsch, Scania France – electric refuse trucks and municipal vehicles

• UpcY-Mobilités – retrofitted electric vehicles and machinery

Other companies focus on biofuels, such as Energo, Saipol, Falaize Energies Alternatives, and HVO Suisse, which converts plastic into biofuel.

Some tackle vehicle recycling and recovery, including Hubency (airbag recycling), HVO France (tire recycling), and Newell Recycling Equipments (engine shredding).

Noteworthy innovations also include Mob-Energy’s deployable charging solution, which can be installed in just three days without construction, and Tallano Technologies’ patented brake particle capture system, anticipating the future Euro 7 standard, which — unlike previous standards — targets brake emissions as well as exhaust gases.

Finally, SNCF Réseau will present its initiatives to transform the railway sector, launching its new “Railway 2025” program to support the growth of rail’s modal share while maintaining a limited environmental impact.

(1) “State of the Environment in Europe 2025,” European Environment Agency, September 29, 2025 — available at https://www.eea.europa.eu/en