Safe, accessible, and with a lower environmental impact. These are the conditions promoted for mobility by the second World Sustainable Transport Day, declared by the United Nations just last year. This is the first step in a broader plan to launch a UN decade dedicated to this goal in 2026. Aligning with Pirelli's focus on mobility, prioritising the same goals in its products and initiatives. The company's approach, as engineer Luigi Emanueli was fond of saying in Milanese dialect in the early 20th Century - “adess ghe capisserem on quaicoss: andemm a guardagh denter”- is to focus on the product to innovate, to understand the materials and technologies that will make tyres ever safer.
This commitment aligns with the annual observance of 26th November, providing another opportunity to discuss and reflect on the challenges and opportunities presented by mobility, which are essential for building a more inclusive, fair, and sustainable future.
A shared future
The 2023 United Nations General Assembly reaffirmed the importance of collaboration in achieving future goals, emphasising the crucial role of mobility and the implementation of a dedicated mobility plan for the decade starting in 2026. Transportation is a vital component of global economies and people's quality of life. The ability to make it more inclusive and resilient through shared innovative approaches is crucial. Impacts and changes require a redefinition and a systemic approach involving institutions, businesses, and citizens, each with a specific role in driving the transition towards more sustainable transportation models. Establishing dedicated days for reflection on this issue is undoubtedly a global opportunity to raise awareness and encourage active participation from industry stakeholders. This is not just an annual observance; it's a call to action and a catalyst for raising awareness.
Let's collaborate to drive innovation
Technological innovation can be the driving force behind change, addressing critical sector challenges such as pollution, traffic accidents, and limited accessibility. Pirelli's commitment to producing 'smart tyres', as evidenced by its joint development agreement with Bosch, aims to create innovative software-based solutions and driving functionalities through the use of ‘in-tyre' sensors. This enables optimal utilisation of the tyre's specific properties, maximising performance, safety, and providing a tailored driving experience in all conditions. By combining Bosch's hardware and software expertise with Pirelli's integrated systems technologies — encompassing sensor hardware, data interpretation software, algorithms, and modelling — it will be possible to collect, process, and transmit tyre data in real time. This data will be provided to the vehicle's electronic control systems via ‘Bluetooth Low Energy', enabling reduced energy consumption.
The role of companies
The choice of more sustainable mobility is becoming strategic. Companies are playing an increasingly crucial role in this transition, actively participating in national and international platforms and projects on the subject. Through collaboration, they are becoming increasingly capable of investing in innovation, developing technologies and products that can improve safety and sustainability in mobility. Pirelli is committed to this goal: since 2018, it has been involved in the United Nations Road Safety Fund, which aims to halve the number of road traffic deaths by 2030 (in line with the UN's "Decade of Action for Road Safety"). It is also involved in sustainable mobility projects promoted by the WBCSD (World Business Council for Sustainable Development) and has always been a promoter of safe and sustainable mobility.
But the aim is to drive change by encouraging sustainable mobility choices, both for the company and its employees, benefiting local communities. For this reason, Pirelli is also working on a gradual electrification of its company fleet, has introduced a Travel Policy that prioritises the "lowest environmental impact" criterion when choosing transportation for business trips, and supports sustainable commuting for its employees with dedicated parking and changing facilities for cyclists, company shuttles, and, in Italy, through the Cycl-e Around company bike-sharing service, which is also offered as a turnkey solution to other companies. These decisions impact both the company and its local communities, working together to shape the future of transportation.
