Sustainable transport should be priority in shift to green energy: UN Chief

NEW DELHI: A three-day United Nations Conference on Sustainable Transport was held from October 14. It addressed the ways in which transportation can contribute to climate response, economic growth and sustainable development. In the opening remarks of the conference, Antonio Guterres, Secretary General, UN, underlining what is at stake here, said, “The next nine years must see a global shift towards sustainable energy,” and that sustainable transport is central to that transformation.

According to the World Bank, such complete shift to renewable energy can save $70 trillion by 2050. The International Financial Institution said that with sustainable infrastructure, there will be better access to roads, which can help Africa become a self-sufficient in food sector, thereby creating a regional food market worth $10 trillion by the end of this decade.

Several UN reports have quoted that the COVID-19 pandemic has revealed the shortcomings of transport sector across all the countries in the world, even though the transportation is much more than a means of getting people and goods from A to B.Transport, according to the UN Chief, is fundamental to the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Paris Agreement on climate change. Adding that both these goals are out of track completely, Guterres said that door for action for major goals, opportunities and commitments is closing. Therefore, all stakeholders have a role to play on this matter. Individuals should change their travel habits, businesses should transform their carbon-footprint.In his speech, Guterres urged governments worldwide to use incentives to promote clean transportation, such as regulatory standards and taxes, and to impose stricter regulations on infrastructure and procurement.

The three day Sustainable Transport Conference also addressed the concerns of vulnerable groups such as women, youth, elderly persons, people living in poverty, along with the concerns of developing nations, least developed countries, landlocked developing countries and small island developing States in relation to this transformation work. Experts at the conference discussed the key objectives of transport sector, especially while shifting to renewable energy resources, like providing access for all while leaving no one behind, green mobility, efficiency and safety.