Sustainable Mobility

C 11 action

Sustainable and replicable mobility solutions for the region of the Mátra Power Plant

The transportation objectives of the National Energy and Climate Plan (NECP)

The NECP aims to achieve a 14% renewable share in fuel supply for the transport sector by 2030 and to increase fossil fuel usage by only 10% in all sectors by the same year.

In order to achieve these goals, public transportation needs to go through a complete structural change and a shift in attitude. Upgrading the polluting local bus fleets is a key step for the transition from a fossil fuel-based fleet. The replacement of the now obsolete vehicle fleet and the switch to environmentally friendly transport is justified. This transition will lead to significant improvements in the quality of life of local residents as air pollution drops due to the reduction in CO2 emissions. In region, the transport sector plays a major role in the share of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, contributing a total of 15% to total emissions, but the figures vary from county to county. GHG emissions from public transportation can be significantly reduced by the Sustainable Mobility sub-project’s measures and actions.

The main objective of Directive 2019/1161 / EU on the promotion of clean and energy efficient road transport vehicles is to stimulate the market for clean and energy efficient road transport vehicles. In September 2019, the Government of Hungary adopted the concept of the national bus strategy, the Green Bus Program (Government Decree 1537/2019 (IX. 20.), as amended by Government Decree 1938/2020 (XII. 17.)).  The Green Bus Project Office was established under the supervision of the Ministry for Technology and Industry and is hosted by the Neumann János NGO.

The Green Bus Program 

The aim of the Green Bus Program is to replace the public transport bus fleet by promoting and encouraging domestic bus manufacturing, by reducing the average age of buses in operation, by reducing the emission, maintenance and operating cost, and by improving the quality of travel services.

Within the Demonstration project (budget: HUF 1.2 billion), it will be possible to display electric buses for technical, service-organization, driving and communication demonstrational purposes in a minimum of seven locations with on-site infrastructure. The program focuses on encouraging the purchase of electric vehicles and only supports electric mobility.

The buses will be used for demonstration purposes for 1-1 months in cities with a population over 25,000, and in one decarbonisation area with a different operating model than that of the cities: the Mátra Power Plant and its area.

The main aims of the Green Bus Program

  • Encourage the use of public transport: encourage the development of electric vehicles and the use of renewable energy in public transport.
  • Increasing the use of advanced biofuels and biogas for transport, innovation of advanced biofuels, electrical mobility from renewable energy.
  • Raising citizens’ climate awareness.
  • Promotion of electric transport for urban citizens, operators, local professional organizations, decision makers.
  • Reduction of air pollutant emissions and noise exposure.
  • Encourage domestic bus production.
  • Reduction of operating costs.
  • Improving the quality of travel.

The Mátra Power Plant and the Green Bus Program 

One of the main objectives of the LIFE-IP North-HU-Trans integrated project is to mobilize additional project resources for the full implementation of the NECP, in particular the decarbonisation of the electricity, transport and residential sectors. The “C11 Sustainable and replicable mobility solutions and transition in Heves county” action created within the LIFE IP project also aims to support this objective by integrating the region of the Mátra Power Plant into the Green Bus Program.

In addition to solutions aimed at the decarbonization of the power plant, the recultivation of mining areas, increasing energy efficiency measures, and the retraining of the workforce, the project also includes the promotion of sustainable transport solutions. The Green Bus Program for demonstration purposes also contributes to the implementation of the latter project element. The demonstration Program is expected to launch in the Mátra Power Plant’s region by the end of September 2021.

The aim of the Green Bus Pilot Project is to examine the challenges and gain experience regarding the commission and operation of electric buses, and to promote the transition to sustainable mobility through electric buses in urban transport.

Read more about the Green Bus program.

The C11 action focuses on the followings, besides the above mentioned

The aim is a complete change in attitude and perception regarding sustainable mobility 

  • Development and education practices for young talents;
  • Case planning with project partners;
  • Creating multidisciplinary teams;
  • Conducting research and situation surveys;
  • Structured program and workshops for talents and project partners;
  • Support for entrepreneurship;
  • Supporting and inducing business start-ups;
  • Competency-based blended courses will be developed with the help of universities in the spirit of sustainable mobility;
  • Development of a 4-module curriculum (e-public transport, sustainable energy in mobility, sustainable individual mobility, urban challenges and sustainable urban mobility systems);
  • Development and application of an action plan;
  • The flow of information between different stakeholder groups.

Knowledge base

Sustainable mobility is an area of sustainable development that includes everything related to transport and mobility in general. One of its main goals is to reduce pollution from transport, environmental damage and greenhouse gas emissions. Our efforts include encouragement toward behaviour change regarding transportation.

Electromobility is a new form of individual and community mobility with means of transport that derive their energy in whole (electric vehicles) or in part (plug-in hybrid vehicles) from electricity. With the help of electricity as an energy source, step by step we can become independent of fossil fuels. By using it, fine particle and noise pollution is reduced as well, and their environmentally friendly use contributes to a healthy environment.

  • Carsharing
  • E-bike: Pedelec
  • E-bus
  • E-car
  • Hibrid
  • E- roller

By smart mobility we mean sustainable and service-oriented transport development, support for non-motorized and e-public transport modes, digitalisation and multimodal access (building system-level and spatial connections between different transport sectors) and optimized integration of services.

Sustainable mobility aims to limit the negative effects of heavy traffic and to attune economic, environmental and social criteria.

The focus is on three central dimensions of sustainability:

ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY: limits emissions and air pollution, relies primarily on renewable energy sources, minimizes environmental impact and thus preserves nature and the environment for future generations.

ECONOMIC SUSTAINABILITY: seizes growth opportunities and creates entrepreneurial prospects and provides a sustainable economic basis for the well-being of present and future generations.

SOCIAL SUSTAINABILITY: enables all members of the community to participate in transport, regardless of age, gender, education, income, while considering factors and opportunities that affect the quality of the environment.

The point of intermodal transport is to reduce pollution and alleviate the burden on the road network by combining several means and methods of transport in a network system. It provides multifunctional connections – travel chains – and transfers in interconnected, interlinked transport spaces on a given route, using as many networked means of transport as possible.