"Time to Tackle the Transport Sector" - BtG at COP 17, Durban

Back to the list

Yorgos Voukas, Philip Turner, Harald Diaz-Bone, Ramon Cruz, Heather Allen and Holger Dalkmann (from right to left)
(Photo: Jonathan Gomez, GIZ)

The'Bridging the Gap' official side-event "'Bridging the Gap' between transport and climate policy: time to tackle the transport sector" took place on Thursday, 1st December 2011 at COP17 in Durban (South Africa). Around a 100 people attended the event held in the Durban Exhibition Centre - a demonstration of the growing interest in transport and climate change.

Mr Philip Turner (UITP) welcomed the audience and introduced the'Bridging the Gap' Initiative. During the first part of the side-event, Mr Holger Dalkmann (EMBARQ - WRI) and other members of the'Bridging the Gap' Initiative set the context and then parties and city representatives shared the latest developments and present efforts at national level.

Dr Harald Diaz-Bone (Photo: Jonathan Gomez, GIZ)

Mr Dalkmann spoke of linking transport NAMAs (t-NAMAs) with national climate change budgets, highlighting the important role climate finance can play. He also pointed out that domestic finance is the key towards the development of sustainable t-NAMAs.

Mr Ramon Cruz (ITDP) explained developments in some of the useful tools available for MRV for t-NAMAs and concluded by stating that the lack of local data and model should not be a barrier to begin the development of t-NAMAs.

Dr Harald Diaz-Bone (GIZ) provided an overview of funding opportunities for mitigation in the transport sector. He also presented GIZ's TRANSfer Project and delivered 8 key messages (see presentation below).

Mr Yorgos Voukas (TRL) presented some of the many on-line resources of relevance for climate change mitigation and adaptation in the transport sector available from Bridging the Gap, in particular those available from: www.transport2012.org, www.slocat.net. He also introduced the new website developed by TRL on Adaptation and Transport www.resilientmobility.com.

During the second part of the side-event, a panel discussion with representatives of Colombia, Indonesia and South Africa took place:

  • Mr Wendy Aritenang (Ministry of Transport, Indonesia) shared the strong commitment that Indonesia has but also that it faces some challenges and that it was still in early stages of developing its t-NAMA;
  • Mrs Sandra López (Ministry of the Environment, Colombia) set out the impressive range of t-NAMAs that Colombia was working on, however the transfer now for the Environment Ministry to the Transport Ministry had come, and making them'operational' were the next steps;
  • Mr Shumani Mugeri (Department of Transport, South Africa) briefly explained South Africa's transport strategy with a focus on rail and BRT systems and how they were just starting to put transport into their plan for NAMAs.

Mr David Cadman (President of ICLEI, Local Governments for Sustainability) contributed to the discussion by outlining how action on sustainable low carbon transport needed to be taken at local, city level.

The presentations can be downloaded here:

Audience at Levubu River Room during BtG's side-event on the 1st Dec 2011 at COP 17, Durban (Photo: Jonathan Gomez, GIZ)

Our key activities