Cities across Europe are setting ambitious climate goals, many aiming for climate neutrality by 2030 or 2050. A significant part of this challenge lies in reducing emissions from urban transport, one of the most complex and impactful sectors to address. Achieving real progress requires more than policies and plans. It depends on access to reliable mobility data and the ability to interpret and apply it effectively. Without consistent, transparent information on how people move and how much carbon their journeys produce, it is difficult for cities to assess the impact of their efforts or adjust their strategies. And this is where Google’s Environmental Insights Explorer (EIE) comes into play.
At EIT Urban Mobility, we believe that data is a catalyst for informed action, enabling cities to design, implement, and refine their sustainable mobility strategies. Access to reliable transport emissions data can help validate assumptions, improve greenhouse gas inventories, and track the effectiveness of policies over time. Yet for many cities, collecting and using this kind of data remains a challenge.
Turning mobility data into action
Mobility-related emissions are often one of the largest contributors to a city’s overall carbon footprint. Metrics on areas such as modal share, travel distances, the ratio of inbound vs. outbound trips are essential for:
- Understanding behavioural trends and evolving travel patterns
- Targeting investments in public transport, cycling infrastructure, and low-emission zones
- Evaluating progress against local, national, and EU-wide climate targets
- Prioritising interventions with the greatest environmental and social impact
To make use of this mobility data, cities need tools that are accessible, reliable, and suited to their local context.
Empowering cities for climate action
As part of our broader mission to help cities harness the power of data, EIT Urban Mobility collaborated with Google’s Sustainability team in 2024. The aim was to raise awareness about the Environmental Insights Explorer (EIE), a free platform that provides up-to-date, modelled data on transportation emissions for thousands of cities worldwide.
EIE uses anonymised and aggregated mobility data, drawn from sources like Google Maps and refined using international methodologies such as CURB, to offer annual estimates of CO2 emissions from urban transport. Cities can explore their modal split, total kilometres travelled, and year-on-year emissions trends, as well as identify inbound, outbound, and in-boundary travel patterns. This information can be used to supplement or validate existing inventories, inform local climate plans, or guide investments in low-emission mobility.
As part of the collaboration, we reached out to over 60 cities in our network inviting them to explore the platform through webinars, one-on-one meetings, and expert sessions. More than 30 cities actively engaged in webinars and discussions organised by EIT Urban Mobility in collaboration with Google. The feedback from these sessions underscored a common interest: cities are eager to unlock the potential of data but often need guidance and support to fully leverage it.
Mobility data in action
One highlight of this collaboration was our joint session at Tomorrow.Mobility World Congress 2024, titled “The Power of Mobility Data for Cities.” The event brought together more than 50 participants and 15 cities to discuss how emissions and mobility data can underpin effective urban strategies.
Speakers from Google, i2Cat, IMEC, and innovative cities such as São Luiz do Maranhão (Brazil) shared insights on how mobility data, from AI-powered modelling to real-time traffic management, can drive change. The session sparked productive conversations and cross-city exchange on how to use emissions data more effectively.
Looking ahead
If Europe is to achieve its climate goals, reliable and accessible data must become a standard part of urban policymaking. Transport emissions data, in particular, is essential for shaping and evaluating climate measures.
At EIT Urban Mobility, we will continue to support cities in their journey towards climate neutrality, not only by raising awareness of tools like Google’s EIE, but also by promoting collaboration, sharing knowledge, and encouraging the use of data to guide practical action.
