EPA - Ireland's Environment, An Integrated Assessment - 2020

Chapter 11: Environment and Transport Avoid-Shift-Improve A standard policy approach for changing transport systems has emerged internationally, as a hierarchy of avoid-shift-improve, which is about using a holistic and integrated systems perspective. Avoid is achieved through spatial planning and demand management; shift through moving to active modes of walking and cycling, followed by rail and bus; and, finally, improve through the energy and carbon efficiency of vehicles. The change in framing and thinking recognises that improvements in energy and carbon efficiency are necessary but not sufficient. Reaching a sustainable transformation of mobility requires an acceleration of all measures, including avoid and shift (Rogelj et al., 2018). This approach offers a plethora of benefits, but also has key requirements. The process begins by taking long-term spatial and transport planning together, followed by the last step, switching to carbon- free vehicles and fuels. Current greenhouse gas mitigation policy mainly focuses on improving carbon efficiency, through increasing electric vehicle numbers by 2030. Energy and carbon efficiency improvement is important, and the public sector can play a leadership role in enabling it. The decarbonisation of public transport will also further improve air quality. However, as efficiency is an ‘end of pipe’ measure, when pursued on its own it is not optimal and may not be feasible. Continuing the current path will deepen lock-in to a ‘greener congestion’ that is difficult to escape. Comparison with international evidence suggests that the avoid and shift measures in Ireland could benefit from enhancement. To effectively implement the framing and thinking of ASI, Ireland needs action in three key areas, described earlier in this chapter: (i) evidence and scenarios, (ii) policies and measures and (iii) governance and investment. Long Term Systemic Approach Firstly, developing evidence and scenarios involves implementing analytical, scenario and visioning techniques that integrate to include all avoid- shift-improve approaches. Specifically, they must also include demand reduction and mode shift measures, augmenting the current modelled pathways that address energy and carbon efficiency. Secondly, a well-designed transport system is a project of transformation towards sustainability, and must be supported by appropriate policies and measures. A long-term systemic approach is crucial to this objective. It requires deep integration of spatial, transport and transition planning, at all levels, to implement measures that deliver compact development, and expand active and public transport infrastructure for modal shift, to overcome the dominance of the private car. Finally, in practical terms, this requires backing by appropriate governance and investment to complete the policy cycle. This involves a long-term strategic approach to integrate policy, facilitate participation and just transition, manage trade-offs and achieve win-wins. It requires institutional structures that support implementation of sustainable mobility transformation, from national to local level, and policy development and review arrangements that can effectively deliver. While this approach offers the potential to avoid the significant economic costs associated with environmental impacts, urban sprawl and traffic congestion, it also requires consideration of targeted investment, particularly for enhanced active and public transport infrastructure. Moving Forward with the Ambition of Climate Neutrality Recent policy and institutional reforms, to enhance the strategic capability of Ireland’s spatial and transport- planning processes, are a positive start. But this process needs follow-through, and ongoing enhancement of the ambition for transformational change, if we are to realise the promise of the ASI approach. Metropolitan planning and transport policies are being developed, and an independent body has been put in place to oversee the spatial plan-making process at regional and local levels, which has climate action as a key part of its assessment criteria. The scene is now set for the honing of strategic and analytical capabilities, in relation to the sustainability requirements of our evolving and future planning and transport policies. 297