COP27: Equitable green transport in Africa and the Global South

COP27 will see an action agenda on green transport, highlighting the importance of moving transportation away from traditional fossil fuels and toward electrification

Taking place from 6-18 November 2022 in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt, COP27 is to dedicate an afternoon on 17th November 2022 to discuss equitable green transport in Africa and the rest of the developing world.

Undoubtedly, car-centric cities and transport planning have had negative impacts on cities – from rocketing emissions, poor air quality and dangerous roads, to plans and policies that leave the poorest behind.

This prioritisation of transport is more critical than ever before, as transport is the fastest growing source of emissions, already responsible for 15% of greenhouse gas emissions globally.

According to the 2022 IPCC Climate Change Report, the global share of greenhouse gas emissions attributed to urban areas is increasing, from 62% in 2015 to about 67-72% in 2020. This entails the increasing need for more options of public transportation in cities, implying the switch to electric alternatives is vital.

“The combination of decarbonized of public transport, walking and cycling holds the key to many of the solutions needed to achieve our goals through a just transition.”

Rob de Jong, Head-Sustainable Mobility Unit, UNEP, said: “COP27 is a golden opportunity to make sure developing countries take centre stage and also to prioritise two critical solutions in the fight against climate change- active mobility and electrification.”

Transport accounts for 15% of global greenhouse gas emissions

Green transport, based on clean technologies and walking and cycling, holds the key to many of the solutions needed to achieve our goals through a just transition.

Luckily, numerous cities in the Global South are already switching to low-carbon public transport options – including electric buses – but these are still under-prioritised aspects of the climate agenda, both in policy and funding.

The Global South has the highest urgency to transform its infrastructure with green transport systems.

Most of the vehicle growth is underway and is projected to continue, but the majority of urban dwellers use public or paratransit services and walk or cycle – this is a problem because public transport grossly lacks the infrastructure for safe active mobility.

The Global South urgently needs to ensure that these investments use clean technologies to further their sustainable pathways, as well as integrate these transport systems with active mobility interventions for safe walking and cycling.

Applying the Avoid-Shift-Improve (ASI) framework through integrated, inter-modal and balanced approaches is critical to effectively enabling equitable, healthy, green transport pathways.

Applying the Avoid-Shift-Improve (ASI) framework:

In the lead up to transport discussions at COP27; on 7 September 2022 COP27 Presidency convened a meeting (moderated by UNEP and SLOCAT) at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Cairo, bringing together close to 100 stakeholders including governments, multilateral development banks, UN agencies, private sector, civil society and NGOs.

The meeting sought to strengthen consensus on what specific COP27 transport-related outcomes could be achieved to support low-and middle-income countries, with a focus on Africa.

What is being done for transport based on clean technologies?

● Creating an overarching framework with SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-Bound) outcomes that identifies the gaps, builds on previous initiatives, and feeds back into these efforts to ensure continuity, alignment and scaling up.

● Secure high-level commitment from interested Parties and non-party stakeholders.

● Identify relevant announcements under preparation by leading entities.

● Develop roadmaps for stakeholder engagement, including Parties.

● Develop funding and governance mechanisms, as required.

Ms. Maruxa Cardama, Secretary General, SLOCAT Partnership, said: “The combination of decarbonized of public transport, walking and cycling holds the key to many of the solutions needed to achieve our goals through a just transition.

“It is inspiring to see such a wide range of stakeholders come together to discuss how COP27 can pave the way for accelerating action with Africa and the Global South in the lead.”

H.E. Ambassador Ayman Tharwat Amin, Deputy Director of the Department of Climate, Environment and Sustainable Development, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Egypt, added: “The focus of COP27 is on implementation; now is the time for action. We hope to see stakeholders come together and demonstrate genuine commitment to active mobility and electrification of buses across the world, and particularly for the Global South.”