MOBILIZING DEVELOPMENT

7 Mobilizing Sustainable Transport for Development
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
In 2014, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Kimoon
appointed an independent High-Level Advisory
Group on Sustainable Transport to provide a focused
set of recommendations on how the transport sector
can advance sustainable development with poverty
eradication at its core, promote economic growth, and
bolster the fight against climate change. The outcome
of this effort is Mobilizing Sustainable Transport for
Development, the first ever Global Sustainable Transport
Outlook Report, addressing all modes of transport, in
developing and developed countries.
Transport drives development, links people, connects local
communities to the world, builds markets and facilitates
trade. In turn, sustainable transport drives sustainable
development, fundamental to meeting the needs of people
in their personal and economic lives, while respecting the
ability of future generations to meet their needs.
The High-Level Advisory Group defines sustainable
transport as “the provision of services and
infrastructure for the mobility of people and goods—
advancing economic and social development to
benefit today’s and future generations—in a manner
that is safe, affordable, accessible, efficient, and
resilient, while minimizing carbon and other emissions
and environmental impacts.”
Transport is not an end in itself, but rather a means
allowing people to access what they need: jobs, markets,
social interaction, education, and a full range of other
services and amenities contributing to healthy and fulfilled
lives. The report moves away from a focus on providing
mobility based on individual motorized transport and
improved traffic speed, to the idea of access through
transport, prioritizing people and their quality of life,
with strong attention to safety and social equity. The 2030
Agenda for Sustainable Development charts this kind
of course. Through sustainable transport, we can make
significant progress on the Sustainable Development
Goals and the Paris Climate Agreement, improving the
lives of billions of people around the world.
The report addresses global trends, including
urbanization, demographic shifts, and globalization, as
well as technological progress in digital connectivity and
propulsion solutions.
There is an urgent need for action to address the
staggering social, environmental, and economic
costs associated with ‘business as usual’: every year
1.24 million people die in road accidents and a further
3.5 million people die prematurely due to outdoor
pollution, including from transport sources; 23%
of energy-related greenhouse gas emissions come
from transport; and road congestion is a tremendous
burden on the economy, currently accounting for 0.7%
of the GDP in the United States, 2% of GDP in Europe,
2–5% of GDP in Asia, and as high as 10% of GDP in
some cities of emerging economies, including Beijing,
São Paulo and Lima. 1, 2
There are also enormous opportunities presented by
sustainable transport: saving hundreds of thousands
of lives every year through improved road safety and
reduced air pollution, and reducing carbon emissions
by 7 gigatonnes. 3 The transformation to sustainable
transport requires a redirection, rather than any
substantial increase, in infrastructure expenditure and
can be realised through an annual investment of around
US$2 trillion, similar to the current ‘business as usual’
spending of US$1.4 to US$2.1 trillion. 4 When considering
full transport costs, including fuel, operational expenses,
losses due to congestion, and vehicles, sustainable
transport can deliver savings of US$70 trillion by 2050. 5
In addition, improvements in border administration,
transport and communication infrastructure could
increase global GDP by US$2.6 trillion, or 4.7%. 6
The High-Level Advisory Group promotes a tailored
‘Avoid-Shift-Improve’ approach as a useful framework
for assessing transport measures and for taking action
in support of sustainable passenger and freight
transport. Applying these principles will promote
a combination of multimodal, collective-shared
mobility solutions and sustainable transport systems.
The concept of enabling is a critical addition to the
framework, and it is in the realm of enabling that many
of this report’s recommendations have been developed.
Throughout the Advisory Group’s analysis, certain
themes recur, including the paramount importance of
taking an integrated, holistic approach to policy and
investment decisions and the benefits of engaging with
a wide range of stakeholders and funding sources. The
Advisory Group recognizes that technology promoting
clean fuels and clean energy are of high priority, and the
Group gives the needs, challenges and opportunities in
developing countries particular weight.
The Advisory Group submits the following ten
recommendations for Mobilizing Sustainable Transport for
Development. These are further elaborated in the report:
1. Make transport planning, policy and investment
decisions based on the three sustainable
development dimensions—social development,
environmental (including climate) impacts and
economic growth—and a full life cycle analysis.