Measuring the equity impacts of government subsidies for electric vehicles

A shift to electric vehicles (EV) is seen as one of the main methods to decarbonise the transportation sector. However, issues have also been raised regarding charging infrastructure, EV reliability and range, as well as the battery environmental and social credentials. Notwithstanding governments, intergovernmental organisations, and research entities have ploughed ahead to promote this transition, but the challenge is the uptake and public acceptance. Grants and financial subsidies have been developed to facilitate this shift. Our study investigates the characteristics of the private EV household charger population using a regression model and spatial analysis to determine the influences of income, car ownership and economic status on EV take up rates. Data on the installation of EV household chargers are used in this paper as a proxy for EV ownership, due to data limitations. The results indicate that 1) urban areas are more likely to see higher concentrations of EV ownership, 2) an income and equity gap exists between those that have adapted electric mobility. This finding is very important because it suggests that lower income categories may have a financial barrier to shifting to EVs

A wolf in sheep's clothing: exposing the structural violence of private electric automobility

The world is running out of time to avoid cataclysmic climate impacts. Therefore, determining which decarbonisation strategies are more effective and inclusive in reducing anthropogenic dependency on fossil fuels is vital for governments' decisions on investment. This research argues that the electrification of private automobility is neither effective nor equitable. Considering the current electricity mix of the grid, this electrification merely shifts the CO2 emissions and other pollutants from urban to rural areas. The strategy of private automobility electrification does not look beyond the problem of tailpipe emissions and hence cannot eliminate the deficiencies of the car-dependent system that require system-wide solutions, such as traffic congestion and road accidents. Prioritising this strategy not only maintains existing inequities but also increases social injustice and delays the implementation of more effective interventions. We argue that using private EVs structurally violates the biosphere and human communities in three ways: (1) production of inequities, (2) pollution and waste, and (3) the space of the exception (the ‘Electric Vehicle Bubble’). Finally, we conclude that eradicating private automobility is necessary to realise climate and transport justice. Focusing on inclusive strategies, such as supporting public transportation, shared mobility, and active travel modes, instead of offering incentives for EVs, are the means of progressive redistribution of wealth and can satisfactorily meet people's basic needs and governmental climate targets.<br/

Framing transformative change

Key messages: Transformative change is a fundamental, system-wide reorganisation across technological, economic and social factors, including paradigms and goals, and valuing the climate, the environment, equity and wellbeing within decision making (IPBES, 2018; IPCC, 2018). If Ireland is to achieve its goals under the national climate objective, the Paris Agreement and the Kunming–Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, transformations will be necessary in the energy, food and land systems, urban systems (including planning, transport and buildings), livelihoods, lifestyles, development pathway, systems of governance and in participation. A clear long-term vision and plan for the transformation of each system will accelerate short-term action and enhance synergies while minimising and managing trade-offs and realising the benefits of transformative change.The decisions and actions taken this decade will reverberate for generations. Much of the groundwork for action has been lain and most technologies and solutions are already available. However, climate action is not occurring quickly enough: opportunities and benefits are being missed and the possibility of shaping a better future for all is being put at risk by not taking a holistic and systemic approach to change. Action needs to be scaled up and accelerated. An incremental approach will not deliver what is required. If Ireland is to address the scale, speed and depth of the change required to close the gap between ambition and action, an approach that focuses on rapid and systemic transformations is necessary. Equity is an important societal goal and an essential element of achieving transformative change both in terms of mitigation and adaptation to climate change. Including considerations of equity at the core of decision making is key to enabling transformative change that enhances living standards, while halving associated energy demand, reducing vulnerability and proactively preparing individuals, households, communities and systems for climate shocks. Climate change and biodiversity loss share many underlying drivers. These underlying drivers need to be addressed if Ireland is to achieve its national and international commitments. Just as the drivers of these crises are linked so too are the solutions. A long-term integrated strategic plan is necessary to drive action in the immediate and short terms, but also to deliver a strong signal on the direction of travel towards a climate-neutral, climate-resilient, biodiverse and sustainable future. Such a plan can leverage greater benefits and opportunities, now and in the future

Ireland's Climate Change Assessment Volume 4: Realising the benefits of transition and transformation

This is the first Ireland’s Climate Change Assessment (ICCA) and is a major contribution to the national dialogue and engagement on climate change. It tells us what is known about climate change and Ireland. It also provides key insights on gaps in our knowledge. The development of ICCA was modelled on the work of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and the Sixth Assessment Cycle, completed in 2023, with the use of and localisation of its information for Ireland. ICCA will support the national response to climate change, ensuring that it is informed by the best available science. It also points to how and where that science can be improved through further investments in innovation, in research and in systematic observations. These collectively form the essential backbone of the science and data required to understand how Ireland is being impacted by and responding to the climate change challenge. The full Assessment has been developed through a co-creation process between leading academics in Ireland and officials from across state agencies and government departments. Funding was provided by the Environmental Protection Agency, Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland, Science Foundation Ireland and Department of Transport. The process was collaborative, involving mutual development and agreement of the scope, preparation and review of drafts, wider stakeholder consultation through a series of workshops and meetings, and a detailed sign-off process. We see the publication of ICCA as a real innovation for Ireland and as a resource for understanding climate change in an Irish context across the underlying science, mitigation and adaptation measures, and opportunities. It is a starting point for further dialogue on the findings and their utility for policymakers, practitioners, researchers, research funders and people. This engagement phase should continue far beyond the publication of this Assessment and support climate action in Ireland

Optimising shared electric mobility hubs: insights from performance analysis and factors influencing riding demand

In order to decarbonise the transport networks, systemic change is needed. One manifestation of this transformation is shared electric mobility, seeking to curtail car usage and ownership. This current case study aims to measure and optimise the operational performance of shared electric mobility hubs (eHUBs). From the performance results of eHUBs, one can get helpful insights to develop appropriate future planning and management policies for improving the transport chain. Incorporating data from September 2021 to October 2022, this research developed a novel dynamic two-stage data envelopment analysis (DEA) framework to assess the performance of the eHUB network in Inverness, Scotland. In the first stage, the DEA model computes relative efficiency scores related to the operational performance of the stations. The second stage focuses on network analysis and examining the factors that may influence the high or low obtained performance scores. Scrupulous analysis shows that the population in the catchment area of the eHUBs and the weather conditions (specifically, temperature) are among the most important factors influencing riding demand. The study also finds a weak association between eHUBs efficiency and proximity to public transport stops, suggesting that electric-assist bikes (e-bikes, pedelecs) may not strongly complement public transport, unlike bike-sharing systems. It indicates that e-bikes serve rather as a standalone mode for longer journeys. The findings of the case study can be used to improve sustainable mobility strategies, particularly related to e-bikes in other cities and urban areas

Desire to work from home : Results of an Irish study

Large levels of working from home (WfH) were induced by social distancing and viral control measures undertaken to mitigate the Covid-19 pandemic. Representing an unpredicted change in the way large amounts of people undertake their day to day work, it is expected that the legacy of this event, in terms of significant alterations to work and commuting patterns will have wide-ranging and long-lasting results. However, how persistent the current trends will be, remains an open question. Therefore, there is a need for a well-represented study of employees' preferences for the post-pandemic future and focus on white-collar workers and their well-established attitudes considering their flexibility in terms of workplace arrangements. This paper presents the results of a survey undertaken in Ireland in the summer of 2021 gauging the desire of office workers to WfH, the format that most appeals to them, the consideration of home relocation based on the ability to WfH, and the factors that may explain such preferences. Results indicate high levels of desire to WfH, either full time or partially, with increased desire to WfH positively correlated to pre-pandemic commute length, and to a perceived increase in work productivity and quality of non-work life as a result of time spent WfH. Additionally, a number of workers state that they may consider home relocation based upon the ability to WfH. These results should be interpreted as the desire to WfH or total addressable market that exists, rather than the likely levels of WfH that will be observed post-Covid

The challenge of making EVs just affordable enough: Assessing the impact of subsidies on equity and emission reduction in Ireland

Governments support the switch to electric vehicles (EVs) through subsidies and other incentives, as this is expected to help meet climate targets. This research examines the affordability of EVs for Irish households, focusing on equity implications and the impact of affordability on achieving decarbonisation goals. Affordability is estimated for eight scenarios, considering both current and reduced EV prices, and assessed across Ireland. The research finds that flat-rate subsidies do not adequately support lower-income households, impede EV adoption, and could jeopardise the achievement of emission reduction targets. Need-based subsidies would ensure more inclusive EV uptake. If current prices are considered, the target for the number of EVs on the road by 2030 can be met only with the purchase of small-sized EVs. This suggests that achieving EV targets is unlikely without promoting smaller vehicles. The current €3500 EV grant may be insufficient for many households without extended loan terms. Therefore, differentiated subsidies based on income and household size are recommended to increase EV adoption. Households in remote rural areas, where forced car ownership is high, require higher subsidies. In contrast, urban areas could receive lower subsidies to promote the use of more sustainable transport modes, such as cycling, shared mobility, and public transport.</p

Ireland's Climate Change Assessment Volume 4: Realising the benefits of transition and transformation. Summary for policymakers

Ireland’s Climate Change Assessment (ICCA) delivers a comprehensive, Ireland-focused, state of scientific knowledge report on our understanding of climate change, its impacts on Ireland, the options to respond to the challenges it poses, and the opportunities from transitions and transformations to a climate-neutral, climate-resilient and sustainable economy and society. This serves to complement and localise the global assessments undertaken by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) reports (see www.ipcc.ch). The findings presented build upon these global assessments and add important national and local context

Social sustainability of regional transportation: an assessment framework with application to EU road transport

The assessment of transportation social sustainability appeals to many scholars as an essential issue but imposes a risk of selecting inadequate factors and methods to measure social phenomena. In this study, based on an extensive review, we identify the measurable key social indicators (instead of the economic or environmental factors commonly used) and propose a comprehensive evaluation framework for relative performance analysis of social sustainability in the regional context. This work is the first attempt to assess regional social sustainability of transport explicitly utilizing a multi-output performance measure. We use Shannon entropy to combine the results of selected data envelopment analysis (DEA) models into a unified social sustainability performance score. The method is applied to regional road transport in the European Union (EU) member states for the period 2004–2017. The empirical section explores individual profiles of EU countries, compares the states grouped into two clusters of old (EU-15) and new (EU-13) EU members, and examines their social sustainability performance over time. The analysis suggests that considering only social factors in the measurement eliminates the bias resulting from the inclusion of economic factors. As a result, our method prevents inaccurate inflation of the scores of more economically advanced countries. The findings also draw attention to the car dependence problem associated with high motorization rates in affluent EU-15 states. The study confirms the capacity of the proposed DEA-based framework to serve as an adequate tool for measuring the social sustainability of transport, which can support policymakers by providing useful benchmarks employing social factors

E-bike to the future: scalability, emission-saving, and eco-efficiency assessment of shared electric mobility hubs

In car-dominated urban areas, shared electric micro-mobility offers a sustainable alternative to decarbonise and reshape mobility paradigms. This paper presents a comprehensive framework for evaluating Dublin's e-bike sharing system, comprising 12 stations (eHUBs). Using six months of real-world riding data, it employs data envelopment analysis to assess the eco-efficiency of each eHUB in utilising nearby infrastructure, population in the catchment area, and location to achieve desired economic, social, and environmental outputs. Results indicate an upward trajectory for the system's eco-efficiency. The returns-to-scale analysis provides insights into the system's scalability, suggesting that expanding the e-bike sharing system, along with infrastructural enhancements, would significantly increase ridership. Analysing decarbonisation, usage patterns, and spatial factors of eHUBs reveals the substantial potential of shared e-bikes if optimally used. The research highlights the need to reevaluate car-centric policies in favour of more inclusive and environmentally sustainable alternatives and proposes actionable policy recommendations to achieve this transformation.</p