To meet long-term climate targets, developed countries should reduce greenhouse gas emission with 65 to 95% compared to 2000 levels. If the transport sector should match these reductions three crucial conditions need to be fulfilled: (1) substantial changes in travel behaviour, travel demand and public acceptance, (2) availability of zero-carbon or low-carbon fuels, (3) availability of advanced vehicle technology. The measures that are currently available for the period until 2020 do not have sufficient potential to meet the long-term climate targets. To meet the goals, there is a need for parallel investments in 'new' technologies (electricity, hydrogen) which, in the future, could be decarbonised to a large extent. Since these new technologies have long lead and implementation times, a policy strategy should be developed today, which ensures that experience is gained and cost reductions are induced. A similar conclusion can be drawn for the Dutch climate policy program Schoon en Zuinig: Most transport measures in the Dutch policy programme that contribute substantially to the emission reduction target for 2020 create little incentive for the development of vehicle technology and low-carbon fuels, which are needed in the long term.