LEDS GP Annual Event: Introducing sessions from the Transport Working Group

Benoit Lefevre and Angela Enriquez co-ordinators of the LEDS GP Transport Working Group, tell us what the Working Group will be offering at the LEDS GP Annual Event. The Working Group session will focus on how the transport sector, sustainable development agenda and the climate agenda can be brought together to support the growth of emerging economies.

Transport is responsible for 22% of energy-related greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions worldwide, and its emissions are increasing at a faster rate than any other sector. On top of that, transport infrastructure lasts for decades, so the decisions that local and national governments make today will have long-lasting impacts on urban development and form, as well as the climate. It is important to act now: actions to reduce transport emissions are urgent and require long-term commitments.

At the LEDS GP Annual Event in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, the Transport Working Group will host a peer learning session entitled Packaging policies to advance public transport systems: Cases of Peru and Colombia. The session will present the cases of two countries that have successfully designed sustainable transport policies which influenced international climate commitments, national laws and leveraged climate finance.

Transport and sustainable development

Taking action to reduce emissions in the transport sector is an important opportunity to demonstrate how the sustainable development agenda and the climate agenda can be brought together to support the growth of emerging economies. And while climate change is an international challenge, climate action in the transport sector is proven to create significant and immediate development benefits at the national and local levels. Countries and cities that invest in low-carbon transport alternatives curb emissions, while also supporting economic prosperity.

Learning from Peru and Colombia

This interactive session aims to promote collaboration by training participants on developing actions that can be used to create policies for the transport sector that are cohesive with international climate commitments and national government mandates. Additionally, attendees will be introduced to the process of packaging capacities and actions that can be funded through innovative financing solutions. The learning objective of the session is to emphasize the value of peer-learning when developing and implementing actions that promote low-carbon transport to mitigate climate impacts and support economic growth.

The learning objective of the session is to emphasize the value of peer-learning when developing and implementing low-carbon transport actions to mitigate climate impacts and support economic growth?

The Transport Working Group in action

The Working Group is building a LEDS transport community, supporting champions and innovators, linking low emission transport expert networks, and exploring opportunities for collaboration at local and regional levels. A team of international transport experts from EMBARQ, the sustainable urban mobility initiative of WRI Ross Center for Sustainable Cities, the US Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) lead activities under this working group.

The Transport Working Group provides technical assistance, tools and training on transport system strategies that support low-emission development. Support is offered at all levels:

  • Global: Efforts include knowledge management and diffusion through the LEDS Transport Toolkit (globalclimateactionpartnership.org/transport), webinars and global events.
  • Regional: The Transport Working Group works with the network’s regional platforms in Latin America and Caribbean (LAC), Asia and Africa to provide trainings and support knowledge-sharing that serves the specific needs of that region.
  • Local: The Transport Working Group offers deep dive, in-country support to governments on specific transport issues and policies to build ambition for low emission transport development. This support includes workshops with peer experts, technical assistance and guidance on how to incorporate low emission transport development strategies into a national and sub-national planning and policy. Through the ) service, the working group offers timely, high-quality, no-fee technical assistance on transport issues. Transport experts from institutions around the world are available to provide objective advice, conduct reviews and brief assessments, and recommend sources of longer-term support for individuals and organizations planning and implementing sustainable transport systems.