23 September 2014: The Bridging the Gap Initiative (BtG) and the Partnership on Sustainable Low Carbon Transport (SloCaT) have published a joint paper that provides key messages for transport and climate change policy makers on the potential contribution of the land transport sector to mitigation strategies.

The report, titled ‘Land Transport’s Contribution to a 2°C target,’ summarizes the sector’s mitigation potential for both passenger and freight, institutional and global governance perspectives, and financing requirements.

The paper, which was published ahead of the UN Climate Summit, concludes the following: the transport sector can contribute, in a meaningful way, to stabilization pathways that limit warming to below 2°C; effective mitigation from land transport requires a combination of measures that limit individual motorized trips with those that shift passenger and freight transport to more effective modes; cost-effective climate change mitigation strategies for the transport sector are readily available and have been tested at scale; an integrated approach to sustainable transport not only reduces emissions, but can also contribute to, inter alia, air quality, energy security and mobility access; UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) mechanisms, particularly those related to funding, have improved their effectiveness in promoting low-carbon transport; and, despite the benefits, substantial costs are associated with transforming the current transport infrastructure and systems.

This paper’s findings can contribute to the scaling up of transport-related commitments made at the UN Climate Summit in the areas of urban electric mobility and railways, among others.

SLoCaT was established in 2009 and is a Type II Partnership. This multi-stakeholder partnership of over 80 organizations is hosted by the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA). [SLoCaT Press Release] [Executive Summary of the Report] [Publication: Land Transport’s Contribution to a 2°C Target]