28 May 2015: The Council of Ministers of Transport at the International Transport Forum (ITF) 2015 Annual Summit issued a ‘Declaration from Ministers on Transport, Trade and Tourism’ on the value of pursuing low-carbon transport towards the 21st session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 21) to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). In their Declaration, ministers “recognize that the new international climate agreement, which is to be forged and agreed by COP 21, should encourage mainstreaming of low-carbon transport in global policies on climate change and sustainable development.”

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon challenged the transport sector to “reshape the world’s transport systems for a cleaner, safer and more sustainable future” and called on participants to “be a champion within (their) industry and urge others to commit to a new sustainable transport future” in a video address.

The Declaration also outlines ministers’ response to the following transport-related issues: transport facilitating global trade; transport enabling global tourism; maritime, rail and aviation transport serving trade and tourism; new technologies and digitalization: enabling innovation in mobility services; and improving governance of transport, trade and tourism.

ITF’s Annual Summit is the world’s largest gathering of transport ministers and the leading global platform for dialogue on transport policy. The Summit, which convened from 27-29 May 2015 in Leipzig, Germany, brought together over 1,000 high-level participants from 66 countries, including ministers, vice-ministers, business representatives, transport initiative leaders and government officials, to discus strategies and innovations to mitigate transport-related climate change impacts related to trade and tourism. [UN Press Release] [UN Secretary-General Statement] [Declaration from Ministers on Transport, Trade and Tourism]