As negotiations continued into the third day in Cancun, several key events highlighted the importance of the transport sector in reaching a climate deal.
At a side event* hosted by UNEP & CN Net, ITPS and UIC, the role of railways in developing a sustainable transport system was examined. Iwao Matsuoka (ITPS) presented on a financial mechanism to support railway development in developing countries, whilst Nick Nuttall (UNEP) shared his views on how transport decisions are impacted by a wide range of issues including convenience, economics and social norms. Yuki Tanaka (ITPS) demonstrated through the Japanese example the benefits of a rail-based transport system (and especially high speed rail) in promoting tourism, business and a high quality of life - noting that railway stations can act as a hub for daily activities. Holger Dalkmann (TRL) linked the issue of sustainable transport to the ongoing negotiations, noting the interlinkages between the issues discussed by the previous speakers, including financing, technology and MRV.
Earlier at a briefing to civil society, UNFCCC Executive Secretariat Christiana Figueres replied to a set of questions posed by the Bridging the Gap Initiative, and noted that the lack of specific mention within the current negotiating text is not unique to the transport sector, and that actions in each sector (including in transport) would be developed by parties once an overall framework is in place. She noted that many parties would see transport as a key sector due to its rapidly rising emissions. She also noted that transport cannot simply be addressed from a climate perspective (i.e. relying on climate finance), and that actions should be supported via a blending of different financial sources. Download the transcript here.
(*) Institution for Transport Policy Studies in Japan has started on-line survey
to consolidate people's' views in terms of the image of
the ideal transport system in a low carbon society.
Visit the survey site at https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/itps_survey .
Please visualize the transport system in your country in 2050 under the low carbon society and answer the questions.
It will take about 20 minutes to complete the survey.
You can see the results of the survey in the following site:
https://www.surveymonkey.com/sr.aspx?sm=MCxtvtJcLEEFghjXbx6sAa1dn7xa3wY1WrVsAsGMbOw_3d
For more information, please contact Yuki (y-tanaka@jterc.or.jp).