Sustainable mobility

Sustainable mobility: what it is, its goals and the main initiatives at Iberdrola

Transport Electric cars Sustainable mobility Electric mobility

Sustainable mobility has become one of the main drivers in the fight against climate change and improving the quality of life in cities. At Iberdrola, we are committed to leading this transformation by promoting innovative and sustainable solutions that integrate renewable energy and smart grids, as well as the electrification of transport. Our goal is to promote a respectful mobility model in line with our decarbonisation and sustainability strategy. 

Photograph of a road with an electric car seen from above

Electric vehicles are a sustainable alternative to combustion vehicles for private use or shared options.

Photograph of a person riding an electric bike

Cycling is an alternative that helps improve air quality, reduce traffic and promote healthy lifestyles.

Photograph of several electric buses parked in a row

Achieving sustainability in public transport is key to reducing per-person emissions and optimising the use of energy resources.

Photo of an electric motorcycle from Smart Mobility Iberdrola

Other individual mobility alternatives, such as electric motorcycles, contribute to a cleaner future.

Sustainable mobility has become a fundamental pillar of the energy transition and a necessary alternative to find a new way of getting around. According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), road transport is currently responsible for approximately a quarter of all greenhouse gas emissions worldwide.  

With the push from international targets to mitigate climate change, however, new opportunities are opening up to drastically minimise dependence on fossil fuels and move towards a cleaner and more efficient energy model. This change not only contributes to mitigating climate change, but also improves air quality in our cities, reducing the impact of pollution on people's health. 

Electric mobility plays a central role in this by enabling more sustainable transport that uses emissions-free energy sources. In addition, initiatives such as the development of charging infrastructure and the integration of smart technologies are essential to realising an efficient and accessible mobility ecosystem. This transformation is a global challenge that requires governments, businesses and people to work together to achieve climate goals and build a more environmentally friendly future. 

What are the goals of sustainable mobility?

Sustainable mobility is not only about changing the way we travel, it’s also about completely transforming the transport system to make it more efficient, accessible and environmentally friendly. Its objectives are aligned with major global challenges, such as combating climate change, improving air quality and building more liveable and accessible cities. These principles guide policies and actions towards a transport model that prioritises people, equality and sustainability. 

The goals of sustainable mobility

Sustainable mobility is mobility that meets our needs to move freely without compromising on environmental and human needs. The transformation of the transport system need to make sure the following milestones can be achieved:

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Reduced polluting emissions

Reducing dependence on fossil fuels in transport to fight climate change.

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Increased energy efficiency

Optimising energy consumption in transport through innovative and clean technologies and more efficient practices.

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Improved air quality

Promoting less polluting modes of transport, as air pollution is considered one of the leading causes of premature death in large cities.

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Reduced noise pollution

Minimising noise, as prolonged exposure to noise can affect health in various ways (sleep disorders, harmful effects on the cardiovascular and metabolic systems, cognitive impairments, etc.).

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Guaranteed accessibility

Transforming our mobility system is an opportunity to improve and promote equity in transport, ensuring that everyone has access to safe, sustainable and affordable transport systems.

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Integrated mobility and urban planning policies

Coordinating new transport strategies with urban development to create more sustainable and liveable cities.

Opportunities for sustainable mobility

Sustainable mobility is not just an alternative solution to environmental and climate challenges, it also opens the door to a range of economic, social and technological opportunities that can make our society better.

Long-term cost reduction

Sustainable transport, especially transport based on electrification, uses renewable energy sources that are cheaper and more stable than fossil fuels, significantly reducing long-term costs. 

More technological innovation

Sustainable mobility is underpinned by new technologies and encourages the development of innovative projects, such as higher-capacity batteries, smart traffic management systems and even self-driving vehicles.

Green jobs

Developing sustainable and electric mobility infrastructure, manufacturing environmentally-friendly vehicles and deploying renewable energies create job opportunities in these high value added sectors.

Improved quality of life

By reducing air and noise pollution, sustainable mobility promotes a more sustainable urban environment that has a direct impact on people’s physical and mental well-being.

Increased urban resilience

By moving away from fossil fuels and embracing more flexible transport models, cities with sustainable mobility are better prepared to face climate and energy crises.

Types of sustainable mobility

Sustainable mobility encompasses a variety of environmentally-friendly alternatives. Each offers specific characteristics for different needs and contexts, so that each individual can find the best form of mobility for each moment. In general, the main types of sustainable mobility can be divided into two broad groups depending on whether they involve the use of an engine for travel or not.

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Pedestrians: walking or reduced mobility

Pedestrians represent a form of sustainable mobility, since they don’t emit polluting gases and don’t depend on fossil fuels. Besides not generating any air or noise pollution, they promote a healthy lifestyle and reduce traffic congestion in cities. This group also includes children, older people and those with reduced mobility, reflecting the need to design cities with wide pavements, safe routes and accessible spaces.

Cycling: mobility by bicycle

Bicycles don’t emit polluting gases, require few resources to manufacture and take up less space than motorised vehicles. They are an environmentally-friendly option that helps improve air quality, reduce traffic and promote a healthy lifestyle. They can be used with infrastructure such as cycle lanes, bike-sharing schemes and measures to improve road safety.

Electric bikes are an increasingly popular option in cities, ideal for covering longer distances or going up hills, combining the efficiency of cycling with the convenience of electric assistance. This type of transport offers advantages thanks to technological advances that have meant, for example, the development of lighter batteries with more autonomy and longer lives. At Iberdrola, we are promoting this form of electrified mobility by installing charging stations powered by renewable energy.

Sustainable mobility in public transport

Public transport –including buses, trains, subways and trams– is key to sustainable mobility by reducing per capita emissions and optimising the use of energy resources. It also reduces traffic and frees up urban space. The electrification of public transport is one of the most effective ways to reduce emissions in the sector. Electric buses and trams powered by renewable energy minimise CO₂ emissions, and trains powered by electricity are an efficient and clean alternative for medium to long-distance trips.

At Iberdrola, we are driving this transition by providing renewable electricity to power these modes of transport and technological solutions to optimise their operation, such as energy storage systems and smart grids. We also have measures in place such as rolling out charging points for buses and seeking out partnerships with transport companies to electrify urban fleets with this type of vehicle.

Sustainable shared vehicles: carpooling and car sharing

Shared vehicles are a sustainable solution as they reduce the number of vehicles on the road, lower overall emissions and promote the efficient use of resources. There are two types of shared vehicles: carpooling, when several people share a car for the same journey, and carsharing, or renting a vehicle for a few hours or even minutes. They usually use digital platforms that provide access to these means of transport.

The electrification of shared vehicles provides a double environmental benefit by ensuring that these vehicles operate with the lowest possible impact. At Iberdrola, we work with shared mobility companies by offering electric charging points powered by green energy and promoting the development of sustainable fleets.

Private electric vehicles

Electric vehicles are a sustainable alternative to combustion vehicles for private use, because they don’t emit polluting gases during operation and can be charged with renewable energy, reducing their environmental impact. They are also environmentally-friendly, improving air quality and combating climate change, and their engines are quieter and more efficient than traditional ones. These vehicles run on rechargeable batteries powered by electricity, preferably from renewable sources.

Advances in electric batteries and smart charging technologies are making these vehicles increasingly efficient and accessible. At Iberdrola, we are leading the transition towards this type of mobility by installing a network of charging points, smart charging solutions and supplying renewable energy to users.

Electrification of heavy transport

Road transport, which has been heavily dependent on fossil fuels until now, is one of the main sources of pollution: it accounts for around 24% of all greenhouse gas emissions worldwide according to the IEA. Although there is no precise figure for freight transport, it is estimated to represent a significant proportion. The sustainability of this type of mobility, especially through the electrification of trucks, represents a fundamental alternative for the energy transition.

At Iberdrola, we have various initiatives focused on offering charging solutions for this type of electric vehicle in the sector, involving green energy in production.

We are energy in motion.

Iberdrola's main sustainable mobility initiatives

We have various projects to promote sustainable mobility in several countries, focusing on reducing emissions and pushing for the electrification of transport.

Spain

At Iberdrola, we have developed a robust programme to deploy sustainable transport in Spain: our Smart Mobility PlanExternal link, opens in new window. . This comprehensive programme includes several key actions to facilitate the adoption of electric vehicles and reduce the environmental impact of the sector:

  • Deployment of public charging infrastructure. We are committed to installing an extensive network of charging points or electric vehicle charging stations, with more than 8,000 points already set up across the country. We have also partnered with BP Pulse, a subsidiary of the British BP, to create the most extensive high-speed public charging network in the Iberian Peninsula, with plans to deploy more than 10,000 points by 2030. 
  • Development of the private charging network. We offer private solutions for both domestic (Smart Mobility) and business (Smart Mobility Empresa) use. This involves the installation of the charging infrastructure and its warranty, personalised supply plans and the possibility of remote, real-time operation via app. Our public and private network has over 60,000 charging points.
  • Electrification of company car parks. We install the necessary infrastructure to adapt company car parks to electric solutions.
  • Electrification of public and heavy transport. We provide solutions for electrifying public vehicles such as city buses. We continue to promote charging infrastructure with initiatives in Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia and Elche, among other cities. In addition, we are committed to helping electrify heavy road transport through partnerships with the Business Association for the Development and Promotion of Electric Mobility (AEDIVE), Disfrimur and Ingeteam, and a specific hub in Elche.
  • Other strategic partners. We continue to sign agreements with key companies in the transport sector, such as major vehicle manufacturers (e.g. Renault, Mercedes Benz, Volvo, KIA, Hyundai, etc.) and various power purchase agreements (PPAs) with different businesses (Mercadona, Eroski, Burger King, McDonalds and Alcampo, among others).

In Spain, we have also created, together with Transportes Metropolitanos de Barcelona (TMB), the country's first public and commercial hydrogen refuelling station, in Barcelona's Zona Franca. This facility began operating in January 2022 and supplies green hydrogen to TMB buses and other electric vehicle fleets. 

The United Kingdom

Through our subsidiary ScottishPower in the United Kingdom we are advancing electrification in the domesticExternal link, opens in new window.  and businessExternal link, opens in new window.  spheres. For residential use, we offer electric vehicle chargers with installation, warranty, solar energy compatibility and after-sales service. For corporate use, we provide companies with fast and ultra-fast chargers, with customised installation adapted to safety regulations. We also have initiatives for corporate fleets. 

Portugal

In Portugal, we offer a range of solutionsExternal link, opens in new window.  for electric mobility. In residential, we offer the installation of private chargers with electricity plans tailored to our customers' needs. We are also committed to electrifying public and heavy transport. Our partnerships with major vehicle manufacturers and companies such as Mercadona, for whom we supply, commission and already operate more than 3,500 points in 800 supermarkets in Spain and Portugal, are particularly noteworthy 

Australia

Through Iberdrola Australia, we offer a range of electric mobility solutions as part of our sustainable energy strategyExternal link, opens in new window. . These include installing and managing charging infrastructure for electric vehicles, combined with solar generation and battery storage. We have also implemented charging stations in projects such as solar car parks, improving accessibility to electromobility. 

The future of sustainable mobility

Projections indicate that sustainable mobility will continue to expand in the coming years. A study by the Oliver Wyman Forum and the University of California, Berkeley Transportation InstituteEnlace externo, se abre en ventana nueva.  estimates that by 2030, cities will be made up of a range of on-demand, shared and electric urban transport services that will generate a turnover of $660B worldwide, up from $260B in 2020.  

Consumer acceptance and support are also taking off. PwC's Voice of the Consumer 2024Enlace externo, se abre en ventana nueva.  survey reveals that most respondents globally want less traffic, environmentally-friendly vehicles and better public transport. These are decisions that are significantly influenced by concerns about climate change, the study notes. 

The future of alternative mobility is therefore shaping up to be a combination of technological innovation, public policies that encourage its use and deployment, and changes in user habits to reduce environmental impact and improve quality of life in cities and on roads. 

Urban mobility trends

Many of the trends in sustainable mobility are focused on cities, the main hubs of citizen movement. These are some of the key trends:

Micromobility

The use of light vehicles such as bicycles and electric scooters is driven by the need to find transport solutions that reduce congestion and emissions in cities. They are ideal for short journeys and to complement other mobility systems.

Mobility as a service (MaaS)

The integration of various forms of transport, public or private, into on-demand platforms allows users to plan and pay for different transport systems. This alternative mobility makes it easier to combine public transport, shared vehicles and micro-mobility.

Smart mobility

The integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into sustainable mobility is transforming the way we travel and manage transport. This is a cross-cutting trend that includes: systems to predict congestion, reduce travel times and fuel consumption; autonomous vehicles, with the potential to improve energy efficiency, optimise routes and reduce accidents; and operational efficiency in fleet management for logistics and transport companies, using traffic data, costs and carbon footprint information. 

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Sustainable mobility
What is sustainable mobility? What is its objective?

The concept of sustainable mobility refers to that which satisfies the needs of moving freely, being able to establish relationships without sacrificing ecological and human values (current or future). It seeks to improve the quality of the environment, not only on the basis of reducing harmful emissions from transport, but also to protect pedestrians, cyclists and people with reduced mobility. It also provides universal access to key places through public transport and internalises the socio-economic costs of means of transport.

What is sustainable mobility?

Sustainable mobility arises to counteract the negative effects caused by a type of transport model that pollutes the air, consumes excessive energy and damages the health of citizens.

It is an energy and environmental challenge that will contribute to improving social, economic and also transport well-being in cities.

It is a question of being transported in the most environmentally friendly way possible; leaving aside fossil fuels (responsible for the largest discharge of CO2 into the atmosphere and responsible for 4.5 million deaths a year, according to the latest reports). In order to combine mobility and sustainability it is necessary to invest in electric cars, carsharing and public transport. For this to be possible, mobility policies in pro of the environment are needed, as well as the implementation of a mobility plan that supports the green fleet, restrictions on polluting vehicles in urban areas and the construction of roads and circuits for non-motorised vehicles.

What sustainable mobility plan does Iberdrola propose?

Iberdrola wants to lead the transition towards sustainable mobility and electrification in transport. To this end, it offers different advantages to its stakeholders, through the Iberdrola Sustainable Mobility Plan. As part of its Policy on Management and Protection of Nature, this strategic mobility plan carries out more than 20 actions to promote the use of clean energy and end carbon emissions of traditional vehicles that run on fossil fuels. Among its actions are those aimed at its employees: aid to acquire an electric vehicle, offer of collective transport, carpooling and promotion of the use of bicycles, among others. Likewise, its business activity includes green fleet; electricity recharging points in workplaces; Operations Mobility Service and carsharing service, among others. The plan also offers numerous advantages for its customers and suppliers: the electronic invoice service, which avoids expenses on paper and ink, and cancels the emissions derived from travelling to deliver the invoices. And the CO2 calculator, designed to control the latter. In addition, Iberdrola is launching the Smart Mobility Plan for its customers, which is committed to electric mobility (it includes special rates and the largest network of fast charging stations for electric vehicles on Spain's main motorways).

What is Iberdrola's electric mobility plan?

Iberdrola is committed to electric mobility through its Smart Mobility Plan, which offers alternative mobility and provides the latest in electric car recharging.

Travelling through Spain from one end to the other with an electric car is now a reality thanks to fast charging offered by this plan for electric vehicles. The Smart Mobility Plan encompasses installing charging points, and a special rate for charging with electricity from green sources. It includes a deployment of almost 110,000 recharge points and is aimed at all types of homes and businesses that are committed to alternative mobility and want to offer this service to their employees and customers.

Users can recharge, whether they are Iberdrola customers or not, using the mobile application that the company has developed, through the Iberdrola Public Recharge app. Drivers will be able to geolocate, book and pay for their recharges via mobile phone. The application has a verified map of all the chargers on public roads in Spain — there are currently more than 3,600 charging points operated by Iberdrola and other energy companies in 1,200 locations —.

Where is electrical mobility today?

Automotive experts seem to agree that the sector will evolve more in the next five years than it has in the last half century. Increasingly, governments are providing incentives for electric cars (Plan Moves in Spain, for example); and restrictions on polluting vehicles in urban areas are forcing the advent of electric transport without conditions. Sales of pure electric cars continue to rise, taking into account new European CO2 emission measures: the number of electric transport registrations will have to be increased as this is the only option for not exceeding the permitted CO2 emissions which are currently 95 g/CO2, but in 2030 they will have to be reduced to 65.

Also, in different urban areas around the world, there are zero emission vehicle options available to citizens to move around freely (electric cars, bicycles, scooters) at a reasonable price. The public electric fleet in cities is growing, and the number of charging points for this type of vehicle is increasing exponentially.

We tell you what the mobility of the future will be like.

What good practices can be promoted for greater sustainable mobility?

Any practice that wants to combine mobility and sustainability must be committed to the promotion of public transport, non-motorised vehicles, and the reduction of the private car. To help lower environmental pollution rates, these measures are necessary as this type of transport is more environmentally friendly and more sustainable. Public transport has a much lower impact, and bicycles, scooters and other non-motorised vehicles have no impact.

If you want to continue to opt for your own vehicle, you must opt for electric vehicles (e-mobility) or hybrids. Currently, there are different incentives for sustainable cars. Iberdrola offers the Electric Vehicle Plan, which in addition to being for the good of the planet is also for the good of your pocket (90 % savings in consumption compared to a diesel or petrol vehicle).

The transport sector has to join the good practices for more sustainable mobility; changing its fleets to zero emission vehicles or readjusting the model (promoting carsharing, for example).

What help can we get to buy an electric car?

Recently, the Spanish Government has promoted the Incentive Programme for Efficient and Sustainable Mobility, known as Plan Moves 2020. Designed to manage grants for the purchase of zero emission vehicles, the plan is endowed with 100 million euros and grants up to 5,500 euros to those citizens who get rid of their old and polluting car and opt for an electric vehicle. Moves also provides grants for the purchase of plug-in hybrids.

At a private level, there are several companies that offer their stakeholders substantial aid and subsidies to get an electric car. In the case of Iberdrola, the Sustainable Mobility Plan offers economic aid to its employees who want a non-polluting vehicle and training in sustainable mobility. 

What is the collaboration plan between Iberdrola and the Electric Vehicle and Sustainable Mobility Observatory (OVEMS)?

With the aim of contributing to the change in the environmental paradigm for transport, Iberdrola has joined the Electric Vehicle and Sustainable Mobility Observatory (OVEMS), created by the Universidad Pontificia de Comillas ICAI-ICADE. This observatory carries out applied research and is a data platform that carries out technical evaluations to support and accompany the development and viability of electric and sustainable mobility in Spain.

This national sustainable mobility association includes experts from the university itself and other specialists in collaboration with companies and actors from the transport and energy sectors. Among its main functions are the dissemination of electric vehicle technologies and sustainable mobility, the promotion of final degree and master's theses, the organisation of events and the consolidation of an observation and research group for national and international projects.

The importance of transport management for the environment

Means of transport are essential to our freedom of movement and play a key role for society and the economy. However, transport is responsible for a large share of greenhouse gas emissions into the atmosphere, so its contribution to climate change is significant.

If other sectors (energy producers and industry) started to reduce their emissions in 1990, the same cannot be said of transport which did the opposite and increased them. Means of transport have serious environmental impacts and the ecological management of transport for the good of the environment is still pending, although the paradigm is beginning to change. It is true that air pollution from transport has decreased somewhat in the last decade, mainly due to new regulations for fuel quality and European standards governing vehicle emissions. But pollution is still high.

There is no other way. In order to eliminate the characteristic 'smog berets' of urban centres, it is necessary to manage mobility properly which means being committed to sustainable mobility. Being committed to electric vehicles, carsharing, non-motorised transport; public transport. Only in this way will we achieve these desired ecological effects, put an end to environmental pollution and be able to use the term sustainable development.

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