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Climate crisis changes mobility behaviour in Germany: survey

12 Oct 2022 09:57am
Image for illustrative purposes only - 123RF
Image for illustrative purposes only - 123RF
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BERLIN - People in Germany are changing their mobility behaviour due to concerns over the consequences of the climate crisis, the German digital association Bitkom said on Tuesday.

Almost all German citizens said they have "fundamentally changed" their mobility behaviour in recent years, according to a Bitkom survey among more than 1,000 people over the age of 16. Meanwhile, 55 per cent said that the climate crisis was the main reason they had made the changes, said Xinhua.

"We are experiencing a turning point in mobility," said Bitkom CEO Bernhard Rohleder. Germans are switching to using bicycles, and car-sharing, he said.

Four out of 10 people surveyed said Germany's state-subsidised €9 (US$8.7) monthly public transport ticket, and the increased price of gasoline were the reasons for changing their mobility behaviour.

To cushion high energy prices for citizens and industry, the German government has implemented relief packages worth a total of €95 billion, including the cheap transport ticket which was valid on local services throughout the country until August.

The Association of German Transport Companies (VDV) said the positive effect of this ticket on the fight against climate change was significant, with around 52 million of the tickets sold nationwide.

The measure saved around 1.8 million metric tons of CO2, an equivalent to up to a year of implementing a speed limit, VDV said. Germany is one of the few countries in the world where there is still no general speed limit on highways.

The country is aiming to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 65 per cent by 2030 compared to 1990 levels, and to be completely climate neutral by 2045, five years earlier than originally planned. (1 euro = 0.97 U.S. dollar) - BERNAMA

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