20 April 2018: The UN Environment Programme (UN Environment, or UNEP) Share the Road Programme has launched its annual report titled, ‘Investing in people who walk and cycle,’ which highlights progress made to ensure that more pedestrians and cyclists can safely travel to work and school.
The Share the Road Programme aims to provide leadership and support to encourage investment in walking and cycling infrastructure as one solution to global transport challenges and transitioning to zero emissions and non-motorized transport (NMT). Launched by UNEP and the FiA Foundation for the Automobile and Society in 2008, the Programme supports governments and other stakeholders in designing “mobility for people instead of mobility for cars.”
While NMT is affordable and offers significant social, economic and environmental benefits, many lives are lost through this mode of transport. For example, more than 25% of those killed in road accidents are pedestrians, according to the UN. Motorized transport generates nearly a quarter of all CO2 emissions and exacerbates air pollution, killing seven million people annually and causing health problems like bronchitis, asthma, heart disease and brain damage. With the number of cars expected to triple by 2050, the report calls for reconciling the need for increased mobility with reducing emissions, and improving air quality and road safety.
While the Paris Agreement does not explicitly reference transport, many countries’ NDCs include targets to reduce emissions from the transport sector.
The report highlights the goals of the Share the Road Programme, namely: supporting the development of NMT policies and initiatives at the national and city levels; building a knowledge base of NMT guidance and tools, and providing access to this knowledge; promoting global advocacy, communication and engagement; and prioritizing the needs of vulnerable groups, such as children, the elderly and the disabled.
The report details the Programme’s links to the SDGs, climate action and other international initiatives. For example, the Programme supports SDG 3 (good health and well-being) and target 3.6 (by 2020, halve the number of global deaths and injuries resulting from traffic accidents). It also contributes to SDG 11 (sustainable cities and communities) and target 11.2 (by 2030, provide access to safe, affordable, accessible and sustainable transport systems for all, improving road safety, notably by expanding public transport, with special attention to the needs of those in vulnerable situations, women, children, persons with disabilities and older persons). While the Paris Agreement on climate change does not explicitly reference transport, many countries’ Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) include targets to reduce emissions from the transport sector.
In addition, the report highlights the UN Decade of Action for Road Safety 2011-2020, established by the UN General Assembly (UNGA), which aims to “stabilize and reduce” road traffic fatalities by 2020. Its Action Plan includes targets for promoting safer road infrastructure and protecting the most vulnerable road users, including pedestrians and cyclists. The report also notes that the EcoMobility World Festival, held in Johannesburg, South Africa, in October 2015, resulted in the Johannesburg Declaration on Ecomobility in Cities, in which city leaders supported implementing transport-related SDG targets on road safety, air quality, energy efficiency and urban transport.
The report showcases NMT-related projects of the Share the Road Programme in Mexico, Brazil, Ghana, Zambia, Nigeria and Kenya. It describes the development of an Africa toolkit for child health and mobility, and a Latin American and Caribbean (LAC) toolkit for safe routes to schools. The LAC toolkit focuses on two SDG priorities that benefit children, namely ensuring safe routes to school for all children, and prioritizing pedestrian and cyclists in urban planning.
Other initiatives described in the report include the Global Initiative for Child Health & Mobility and Mobike. The Global Initiative for Child Health & Mobility aims to build country and donor support to ensure a safe and healthy journey to school for all children by 2030 through: promoting safe transportation, footpaths, cycle lanes and lower vehicle speed limits; legislation and interventions for motorcycle helmet and seat belt use; and supporting policy and technical interventions to ensure that air quality levels are within World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines. Mobike, the world’s first and most technologically advanced stationless bicycle-sharing system, headquartered in Beijing, China, helps to combat climate change and contributes to achieving the SDGs and their targets related to innovation, technology and public participation. [Publication: Investing in People Who Walk and Cycle] [UNEP News Story] [FiA Foundation Website] [Share the Road Programme Website]