The Elderly Mobility and Sustainable Development Goals: Composite Indicators for European Countries

Scientific literature and policymakers have been focusing for some time on sustainability tools that allow the achievement of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. In this article, the focus will be on the sustainable mobility of the elderly population, both active and passive, with reference to the European area. The approach will be distinctly methodological and will consider sustainability as a key priority for European governments. For these purposes, specific composite indicators will be developed and compared. They take into account the key mobility variables in terms of infrastructures dedicated to the mobility of the elderly and the consequent services that this population cluster can benefit from. More precisely, elderly mobility will be explained by climate changes, transport infrastructures and services, the social impact of transport, and health conditions. The idea is to be able to develop an initial comparison of different realities and to arrive at a representation of the geographical area that puts sustainable development in terms of equity at the center. This approach provides the basis for monitoring the sustainability of mobility relating to the European countries in the light of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.