PLANNING FOR A SUSTAINABLE EUROPE? - TU Berlin

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developments.” This de-coupling theme has emerged with particular force in the
transport sector, where discussions on de-coupling additional growth in transport activity
from economic growth has emerged as a new principal goal of European transport policy
(also see below).
The SDS subsequently identifies six major threats to sustainable development.
For two of them, “combating poverty and social exclusion,” and the “dealing with the
economic and social implication of an aging of the society” the SDS refrains from
proposing any new actions and measures since recent European Councils at Lisbon, Nice
and Stockholm supposedly already addressed these sufficiently. The four remaining
priorities, for which new measures and actions are proposed, are as follows:
?? Limit climate change and increase the use of clean energy
?? Address threats to public health
?? Manage natural resources more responsibly
?? Improve the transport system and land-use management
With regard to the first commitment, the EU thinks out loud beyond Kyoto (its
commitment to which the Union renews), aiming for a reduction in atmospheric
greenhouse gas emissions by an average of 1 percent per year over 1990 levels up to
2020. Moreover, the EU aims for a 7 percent share of alternative fuels for all cars and
trucks by 2010 and at least 20 percent by 2020, with a proposal to be adopted by the
Commission in 2005 (see p.10).
As for transport sector proposals, the aim to decouple transport growth from GDP
growth is stated as the first headline objective, complemented with a concrete proposal to
shift from road to rail, water and public transport “so that the share of road transport in