Urban Policymakers’ Perspectives on the Equity Impacts and Risks of Local Energy and Mobility Decarbonisation Policies: A Case Study of Dutch Cities

Decarbonisation of urban energy and transportation systems has become a priority for cities worldwide, with policies primarily aiming to promote rooftop solar electricity generation and a shift to private electric vehicles (EVs). However, these policies may also increase inequalities in access to affordable, low-carbon mobility and the associated benefits. While academic literature shows increasing awareness of these equity impacts and risks, the extent to which this applies to policy practice remains unclear. We therefore conducted a case study of seven Dutch cities, analysing local policy documents and conducting interviews with policymakers. The study provided insight into the current policy landscape and revealed a general sensitivity among interviewed policymakers to possible equity impacts of the current decarbonisation policies. Only a few measures to address these impacts are currently in place, but policymakers have proposed a range of novel and more inclusive measures, which can be tested for their impacts and scaling potential in real-life experiments. Another priority for future research is exploring the potential of shared electric mobility to provide equitable access to low-carbon transportation.