To achieve decarbonization goals, governments worldwide must work on expanding the use of "green" (electric) public transport, International Transport Forum (ITF) Secretary General Young Tae Kim said at a high-level roundtable on "Green Urban Transport" during COP29, according to Report.
"Cities play a central role in the greenhouse gas issue. By 2050, 68% of the world's population is projected to live in cities. Transport decarbonization policy must go hand in hand with broader goals. Transitioning to low-carbon transport will clean the air we breathe, and shifting from fossil fuels to renewable sources will support energy security," he said.
According to him, defining future decarbonized and sustainable transport systems provides an opportunity to plan more livable cities as urban populations grow.
"To achieve these goals, governments must work on expanding the scale of electric public transport use, integrating it with walking and cycling. This should go hand in hand with measures that encourage environmentally friendly transport choices," Kim said.
He emphasized that governments should apply a transport infrastructure planning approach that aligns investment decisions with creating the transport system of the future, rather than simply maintaining and expanding the existing system that fails to meet global goals.
"Coordination is necessary to achieve this goal. Coordination between local and national authorities, governments and transport network providers, industrial enterprises, investors, and civil society," the Secretary General added.