In a stinging criticism of the world for not doing enough to clean up the transport sector, the United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres has said the industry must decarbonise itself completely in order to meet its global net zero emissions target by 2050. Guterres was addressing the second Global Sustainable Transport Conference in Beijing.
“We must decarbonize all means of transport in order to get to net-zero emissions by 2050 globally. While Member States have made some initial steps through the International Civil Aviation Organization and the International Maritime Organization to address emissions from shipping and aviation, current commitments are not aligned with the 1.5°C goal of the Paris Agreement. In fact, they are more consistent with warming way above 3°C,” he said.
“The COVID-19 pandemic has made it clear that transport is far more than a means of getting people and goods from A to B. It is fundamental to implementing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Paris Agreement — which were badly off-track even before the pandemic hit.”
Guterres said there more ambitious and credible targets were needed, which include doing away with internal combustion engine vehicles that are powered by fossil fuels in developed countries by 2035 and in developing countries by 2040.
“Adopting a new set of more ambitious and credible targets that are truly consistent with the goals of the Paris Agreement must be an urgent priority for both these bodies in the months and years ahead,” he said.
“The priorities are clear: phase out the production of internal combustion engine vehicles by 2035 for leading manufacturing countries, and by 2040 for developing countries; zero emission ships must be the default choice, and commercially available for all by 2030, in order to achieve zero emissions in the shipping sector by 2050; companies must start using sustainable aviation fuels now, in order to cut carbon emissions per passenger by 65 per cent by 2050.”
Increased finance for climate adaptation is essential for investment in sustainable, resilient transport systems, especially in developing countries.Antonio Guterres, UN Chief
The onus is as much on the companies and consumers, as the government, which according to him have the power to force the changes through standards, taxation and policies.”All stakeholders have a role to play, from individuals changing their travel habits to businesses transforming their carbon footprint. Governments must incentivize clean transport options, including through standards and taxation, and impose stricter regulation of infrastructure and procurement,” he said.
Another topic that he stressed upon was the issue of climate financing, which has been in debate off late with developing countries accusing their developed counterparts of not doing enough and keeping their end of the bargain. India has also voiced its concerns with finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman admitting in an interview in the US last week that climate financing alongwith transfer of technology was a worry.
“Increased finance for climate adaptation is essential for investment in sustainable, resilient transport systems, especially in developing countries. The recent Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report underscored that the target of $100 billion in climate financing from the developed to the developing world is an under-estimate — but even this is far from being reached,” Guterres admitted in Beijing.
“I reiterate also my call for half of all climate finance, in support of developing countries, to be allocated to adaptation. We must funnel both public and private resources towards sustainable infrastructure in developing countries to drive a recovery from the pandemic that accelerates progress across the Sustainable Development Goals.”
Guterres’ tone and tenor was suitably urgent but will the world pay heed?
