The growing focus on climate urgency and the transition to a low-carbon economy means that the transport sector takes on a fundamental role in promoting environmental and social sustainability. For this reason state Railways presented the report “Just Transition and Transport”, which aims to address this challenge by ensuring inclusiveness and equity in the long run.
Il Green Deal aims to make Europe climate neutral by 2050, extending this objective to the Italian transport sector with zero net emissions by 2050 and a 43,7% reduction in emissions by 2030. FS Group positions itself as a promoter of sustainable growth, exploiting the potential of rail for environmental and social sustainability through an inclusive and participatory approach, leading the transport sector towards a more sustainable future both environmentally and from the point of view of social and economic equity.
Fs and the Just Transition in transport
The FS Group has launched the "Just Transition in the Transport Sector" project together with the Foundation for Sustainable Development to address the challenge of the transition to a low-carbon economy. Three key areas identified: climate change mitigation, environmental and social protection and positive impact on communities. The results of this work translate into concrete initiatives and the active involvement of interested parties.
After preliminary stakeholder engagement between December 2023 and January 2024, the project aims to write an introductory report which analyzes the key aspects of the climate transition in the transport sector. Among the measures discussed, a focus on strengthening of rail transport through the Pnrr in the medium-long term. The proposed actions include the expansion and improvement of railway infrastructures, the completion of the European TEN-T corridors, the increase in high-speed lines and regional networks, as well as the development of urban railway hubs. Furthermore, the importance of valorising stations as intermodal and sustainable development centers in the urban and territorial context is underlined.
Fs: net zero goal by 2040
The commitment to sustainability is a key principle of the FS Group, which translates into concrete actions to make the mobility sector more ecological, generating benefits for territories and people. The Group has set itself thegoal of carbon neutrality by 2040, anticipating the requests of the European Union by ten years.
In particular, Ferrovie aims to reduce direct and indirect emissions by 2030% (Scope 50 and Scope 1) by 2, and to cut value chain emissions by 30% (Scope 3), which include those generated by suppliers, customers , collaborators and other external sources.
FS, with a view to an economy and a society in harmony with the environment, promoting the well-being of all, is committed to designing, building and managing railway infrastructures with sustainability and inclusion criteria, as well as promoting good practices to reduce the 'air pollution.
The “Just Transition and transport” report
The report examines the just transition concept and its potential social, economic and demographic impacts in the transition to a low-carbon economy. He focuses on the application of this concept in the transportation sector, examining the transport poverty and its socio-economic implications. Explores the effects of sustainable mobility measures on passenger transport, including the role of rail in mitigating social and territorial gaps. Furthermore, it analyzes the contributions of FS Group stakeholders regarding the role of railways in the green transition and addresses the issue of measuring transport poverty, proposing quantitative metrics and approaches to evaluate equity and sustainability in the transport sector.
The report was presented by Lorenzo Root, Head of Sustainability of the FS Group, Raimondo Orsini, Director of the Foundation for Sustainable Development, Elisa Rinelli, Institutional Affairs of the FS Group, Massimo Ciuffini of the Foundation for Sustainable Development, Prof. Gian Piero Joime of the Guglielmo Marconi University, co-author of the report, e Fabrizio Dell'Orefice, Head of Institutional Affairs of the FS Group.