25 April 2012: Participants attending an event on sustainable mobility emphasized the importance of transport for sustainable development and called for responsible transport and land use planning that considers communities’ needs for sustainable development.

The side event, titled “Sustainable Mobility on the Road to Rio+20: Priorities and Actions across Major Groups,” was held on 25 April 2012, in New York, US, during the second round of informal informal negotiations on the zero draft of outcome document of the UN Conference on Sustainable Development (UNCSD, or Rio+20). It was organized by the Institute for Transportation and Development Policy (ITDP) and the Partnership on Sustainable Low Carbon Transport (SLoCaT), and aimed to explore the role of transportation in advancing a green economy in the context of sustainable development and poverty eradication.

Major Group participants at the event expressed support for sustainable transport, and highlighted its importance to their Groups. The Women Major Group underlined that transport systems that are attractive to women in terms of safety and cleanliness are, in turn, attractive to all groups, and the Farmers Major Group noted the need for improved transport infrastructure to prevent wastage of food produce. The Scientific and Technology Community, noting that the technology required to provide sustainable transport systems is available, said political support and public outreach are required. [Event Webpage] [IISD RS Sources]