The options outlined in this guidebook are designed to assist policy makers in the process of developing transport services and facilities in their countries and localities – transport that better serves people’s needs and enhances their lives while at the same time producing fewer greenhouse gas emissions.

When it comes to carbon dioxide emissions, the transport sector is a heavyweight. In 2006, transport contributed 23% of global CO2 emissions, and substantial increases are projected, particularly in developing countries. Due to the sector’s complex nature, policy makers in developing countries face some exceptionally difficult challenges.

Many of the countries participating in the Technology Needs Assessment program have identified transport sector for mitigation efforts. This guidebook is intended to help countries achieve that goal. Measures explored in this book show that it is possible for transport systems to meet both people’s and the environment’s needs, without sacrificing one for the other.

A broad range of transport options are covered in this book, including rural, urban, motorized and non-motorized transportation, and a wide variety of applicable emissions-reducing policies and measures are explored. The guidebook proposes cycling and mass transit approaches, as well as ideas for improving motorized transport technologies. Newer developments, like high-density, mixed-use schemes built around rail nodes, or rapid bus service are also examined in detail.

Read Technologies for climate change mitigation: transport sector.