What if Santa rode a four-legged robot? What looks like a sci-fi fairy tale might soon come true. Nowadays it is not reindeers that bring holiday gifts to our homes, it is most often a cumbersome, noisy and polluting van.

As expected, car sales have decreased world-wide as a consequence of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Global transport accounts for almost one quarter of energy-related carbon dioxide emissions, and the proportion is rising.

Across Europe, town and city councils are becoming increasingly interested in energy decentralisation , i.e. in producing power closer to where it is consumed.

Poor air quality costs Europe more than €700 million per year, in health expenditures and loss of economic performance, according to official EU sources.

In a hotel lobby in Madrid we meet Umberto Guida. The 46-year-old works in Brussels for the International Association of Public Transport.