German transport minister rejects the concept of a “transport transition”

The new German transport minister, Andreas Scheuer, has said he doesn’t like the concept “transport transition,” news agency Reuters reports. The German word “Verkehrswende," literally meaning ‘transport turnaround,’ describes a set of decarbonisation and efficiency-boosting measures in the sector and has been used analogously with “energy transition.” Scheuer said it indicates “that the wrong direction has been taken”, and that he favours a combination of “offers and incentives” over “bans and patronising” to achieve cleaner air and “good mobility.” “We don’t want to demonise the car,” Scheuer said.
Germany’s transport sector has not reduced its CO₂ emissions since 1990 and the country’s car industry is embroiled in a far-reaching scandal over manipulated nitrogen oxide emissions levels from diesel cars.

Read the article in German here.

Find a CLEW profile of Scheuer here.