The transport sector contributes to 23% of energy-related CO2 emissions and is the fastest growing sector in terms of GHG emissions in developing countries.
To encourage international action and to slow down this growth, GTZ, Veolia Transport, ITDP, UITP and TRL have decided to join forces to encourage the recognition that transport can and should play in mitigating GHG emissions. Together we hope to achieve that a Post 2012 Agreement will be fully applicable to the sustainable land transport sector.
The initiative is strengthened further by contributing to the Sustainable Low Carbon Transport Partnership, of which all Bridging the Gap members are a part.
United Nations Climate Change Conference in Bonn
The thirteenth session of the AWG-KP and the eleventh session of the AWG-LCAbwill take place from Monday 2 August to Friday, 6 August 2010 at the Hotel Maritim in Bonn.
The sessions will be preceded by preparatory meetings of the Group of 77 and China, the African Group, the small islands developing States and the least developed countries.
ADB Study Offers Framework to Measure and Reduce Carbon Emissions from Transportation Projects
The ADB is the first multilateral development bank to estimate the carbon footprint of its transport sector assistance, which this report identifies as 792 million tons for the projects supported by ADB between 2000-2009, about equal to the annual land transport emissions of Thailand. With the report, ADB breaks new ground in identifying various ways to measure how much its transport sector activities contribute to climate change as a function of the nature and cost of the infrastructure it invests in and the amount of mobility that infrastructure provides for passengers and freight. The report shows that local pollution reduction and CO2 reduction are correlated. Three-fourths of ADB's transport sector investments in the past decade have been in building expressways and the report finds these substantially increase CO2 emissions.
EC holds a workshop on a "Global Transport System in a Low Carbon Society"
The Institution for Transport Policy Studies (ITPS) is currently finalising a backcasting study on how to achieve a Global Transport System in a Low Carbon Society by the year 2050. This is the first of such studies conducted on a global scale, involving key experts from various world regions who have authored regional studies to inform the wider global study. The European Commission hosted a half day'open' workshop, where representatives from the study team discussed the study and its current findings. Holger Dalkmann of TRL presented the results of the European Regional Study, and highlighted the ways in which a drastic reduction of transport greenhouse gases can be achieved, combining both behavioural and technological changes. Ways in which the EU can also support mitigation actions in other parts of the world were also highlighted.
World Bank Report on Urban Transport and CO2 emissions in Chinese Cities
The World Bank has published a working paper titled "Urban Transport and CO2 emissions: Some evidence from Chinese cities" that seeks to establish a baseline for carbon dioxide transport-related emissions in China. The paper shows that growth in carbon emissions in transport have so far outpaced the carbon dioxide emission reduction achieved by vehicle efficiency and fuel performance improvements. The study also found that the level of urban transport-related carbon dioxide emissions varies significantly not only among cities of different levels of per capita income, but also among cities of similar income level. This implies that in addition to the motorization level that is generally associated with per capita income, other policy factors such as priority to public transport and restriction on private cars are also significant determinants of carbon dioxide emissions.
IPCC announces authors for 5th Assessment report
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has released the final list of climate change experts who will prepare the Fifth Assessment Report (AR5) to be published between 2013 and 2014. The list includes Coordinating Lead Authors, Lead Authors and Review Editors.
Our Cities Ourselves
Ten of the world's leading architects show how integrating urban planning with transport can enable cities to thrive, while also combating climate change and managing population growth, in a global exhibition that kicks off in New York on June 24, 2010. Our Cities Ourselves: The Future of Transportation in Urban Life showcases the transformative potential of designing streets and cities around the needs of people rather than around the needs of private cars. Our Cities Ourselves illustrates how the dream of a sustainable, equitable and livable urban future can be realized when transport is a core foundation.
Previous Newsletters
COP15 in Copenhagen in December 2009
Archive of our daily blog from COP15 online
The Bridging the Gap team wrote a daily blog article from COP15 in Copenhagen.
