TRL plays key role in UNEP Green Economy report

Date: 22/2/2011

A new flagship report compiled by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) entitled "Towards a Green Economy: Pathways to Sustainable Development and Poverty Eradication" was launched in Nairobi on February 21 at the UNEP Governing Council/Global Ministerial Environmental Forum.

The report compiled in collaboration with economists and experts around the world, identifies ten key sectors where investing two per cent of global GDP can kick-start a transition towards a low carbon, resource efficient Green Economy.

One of these key sectors is Transport and TRL's Holger Dalkmann and Ko Sakamoto were coordinating authors for the chapter relating to this important topic. Supported by other TRL colleagues and leading international researchers, the chapter examines the role of transport in a green economy and makes a case for ensuring future investment in the sector is increasingly green.

Five key messages are identified*:

• Present patterns of transportation, based mainly on petrol and diesel-fuelled motor vehicles, generate serious social, environmental and economic damage and are highly unsustainable
• "Business as usual" will significantly enlarge vehicle fleets and exacerbate their costs to society
• A three-pronged investment strategy is needed to transform this sector: promote access instead of mobility and avoid unnecessary travel; shift to less harmful modes of transportation and, improve vehicles towards lower carbon intensity and pollution
• Investment in public transportation and vehicle efficiency improvements generates exceptional economic returns
• Enabling conditions for "green" transportation have to be wide-ranging in order to be effective

The report including the full draft chapters, together with the modelling and scenarios, is available at www.unep.org/greeneconomy

*For a summary of the key messages, please click here.

Issued by TRL Communications Team
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