The transport sector consumes about 30 per cent of the final energy in Germany and is still based nearly completely on fossil fuels, causing a respective dependency on energy imports. The current debate on energy policy shows that even the transport sector has to contribute to the transformation of the energy system.
Facing scarce resources and increasing demand of transport, the challenge is to reach the reduction goals of the German government's energy concept as defined for the transport sector: until 2020 reduction of final energy demand of 10 per cent, until 2050 of 40 per cent (compared to 2005). To mark the beginning process of change, the government highlights in the energy concepts the necessity of a mobility and fuel strategy. In this spirit, the fuel strategy from 2004 shall be updated and put on a broad base considering all modes of transport and traffic carriers.
Having IFOK as lead partner, the focus is on arranging the mobility and fuel strategy as participative process with the relevant actors from economy, society, sciences and politics. The Wuppertal Institute accompanies the project as scientific expert.

The design and organisation of the strategy includes the investigation and preparation of the necessary technical, ecological and economical data of diverse fuels (the current fossil fuels, biofuels of first and second generation, hydrogen, e.g.) and drive systems (conventional ICE, diverse electrical options). As well, in the spirit of an overall mobility and fuel strategy, aspects as traffic relocation, avoidance and improvement are considered.
The study addresses the sectors of road, rail, sea and air traffic, in each case including passenger and freight traffic. The timeline is until 2050, with a closer look on the intermediate goals of 2020 (short-term) and 2030 (mid-term). With the help of long-term energy scenarios, the diverse options and their influence on the whole sectors are examined.
As a result, the Federal Ministry of Transport, Building and Urban Development (BMVBS) gets a set of recommended actions for the design and formation of a sustainable mobility and fuel strategy, based on a common consent of the actors involved in the participative dialogue process.