Transport sector commits to a greener future at COP25

A number of organisations from across the transport industry have launched initiatives and offered advice to peers on how to boost sustainable mobility as they participate in COP25.

COP25 is designed to take the next crucial steps in the UN climate change process. Following agreement on the implementation guidelines of the Paris Agreement at COP24 in Poland last year, a key objective is to complete several matters with respect to the full operationalisation of the Paris Climate Change Agreement.

International Association for Public Transport (UITP) has said that after launching its ‘One Planet, One plan’ campaign, its message for the decision makers at COP25 would be clear: public transport should be at the heart of the global climate talks.

The UITP team, led by UITP President Pere Calvet and Secretary General Mohamed Mezghani, have said that they have been coordinating, advocating and communicating throughout the proceedings during the transportation thematic events and discussions in Madrid.

UITP has stressed that in order to ensure a greener future, public transport and climate action must go hand-in-hand – and that it is time all decision makers implement what they already know into their climate plans. 

At COP25, Lime also put forward its contribution to ensuring a greener future. As the planet faces an array of climate-related issues, Lime argued that recent studies have demonstrated that shared electric scooters and bikes have the potential to play a meaningful role in reducing carbon emissions and redefining what it means to live in a carbon-free city of the future.

Lime has partnered with Endesa, the largest electric utility company in Spain, to bring electric scooters to COP25. Throughout the two-week global summit, Lime “patinetes” were available at the Endesa exhibition area, along with employees offering information about safe riding and the impact that micromobility is already having on the environment.

“Whether it’s through an increase in shared electric mobility or the push for a decarbonised economy by 2050, Lime and Endesa share a vision for a cleaner, more sustainable future,” said Alvaro Salvat, Lime’s General Manager of Spain and Portugal. “We’re proud to offer our electric scooters at the Endesa stand throughout COP25 and excited about what this opportunity means for the future of micromobility worldwide.” 

“Due to the venue being a mile away from the subway, having Lime as a partner literally helped us bridge the last mile problem and encourage conference goers to take public transit to and from,” said Sarah Voska, COY15 General Coordinator. 

The International Transport Forum (ITF) pointed out that human activity is the main cause of climate change, but it is also the source of the solution. By focusing on five economic sectors, ITF has said that we can tackle up to 90 percent of emissions, and transport is one of these sectors.

Here are five transport climate actions set out by ITF at COP25 to help decision makers deliver their climate commitments:

1. Scale-up research, production and use of zero-emission fuels.
2. Create conditions that encourage the maximum use of transport capacity.
3. Set prices to encourage sustainable passenger mobility and freight transport.
4. Make low-carbon transport the default for public sector decision-making.
5. Share knowledge about tested measures that reduce transport emissions.