Moving Toward Climate-Resilient Transport

Infrastructure and services are critical
to development and form the backbone of economic and
community activities at the local, regional, national, and
international levels. They enable the distribution of goods
and services within and between countries and ease access to
schools, markets, and health services. Food security and
vaccination programs, for example, require functioning roads
and railways and access to ports and airports to move
critical supplies to people. While there is agreement on the
need for greater connectivity, there is much debate on how
to deliver it given the challenges from climate change. The
contribution of the transport sector to increasing
greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) and fossil fuel consumption
have been at the center of global discussions on climate
change. Transport is among the fastest growing sectors for
CO2 emissions from fuel combustion, and it is estimated to
contribute approximately 23 percent of total energy-related
CO2 emissions in 2010. Transport enables development, but
causes traffic congestion, pollution, noise, and road
accidents, that together bring about 2 percent to 10 percent
reduction in country-level GDP. Reversing this trend in
emissions growth will require action to decouple emissions
growth from GDP growth, driven by passenger and freight
activity. This includes policies to encourage investment in
low-carbon transport modes; programs to curb energy and
emissions growth; and action to transform the way countries
manage transport services.