Warsaw Statement on Low Carbon Transport and Sustainable Development Transport Day, November 17th 2013

(2) We note the rapid continuing increase in greenhouse gases (GHG) emissions from transport world-wide, the predictions for a significant further increase in both private passenger motor vehicles as well as freight transport and the need to enhance the current set of policies and investment programmes by the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) for reducing CO2 and black carbon emissions from land transport.

(3) We therefore call upon the Parties to develop and strengthen suitable policy instruments, financial incentives, institutional capacity, and governance strategies to promote sustainable low carbon land transport as part of the evolving international framework for both mitigation of, and adaptation to, climate change.

(4) We ask that the Parties take note of the potential for highly cost-effective or in some cases net negative cost emission reductions from the land transport sector through integrated approaches that deliver environmental benefits while strongly supporting sustainable development, shared prosperity and greater equity. We especially note that women and youth are presently disadvantaged from access to sustainable transport options.

(5) We call upon Parties to adopt an integrated approach, promote environmentally sustainable transport, sharply reduce emissions in line with the 2°C global warming limitation scenario, and deliver the significant and widely distributed co-benefits essential to meeting global sustainable development goals (SDGs). These include:

a. Cutting the toll of deaths and injuries from road accidents and improving human health by reducing hazardous air pollution and harmful noise.

b. Expanding access by more sustainable transport to employment, markets, health, education, clean water, and other services essential to eliminating extreme poverty.

c. Reducing the negative economic impacts of traffic congestion and boosting reliability of access to spur efficiency and sustainable economic growth.

d. Reducing the burden of global expenditures required for road transport infrastructure, motor vehicles, and fuels, and eliminating fossil fuel subsidies, while supporting growing populations and economic activity.The International Energy Agency (IEA) estimates potential savings of USD$20 trillion in infrastructure expenditures and USD$30 trillion in vehicle and fuel expenditures between now and 2050 can be achieved by reorienting land transport to a more sustainable, low carbon growth trajectory, with improved public and non-motorized transport, freight and logistics, travel demand and system management, and access for the poor and those with disabilities.

[6) We encourage Parties and other actors to advance work on the transport-energy-carbon emission nexus. This will require more effective low carbon transport strategies supported by required financing, capacity building and new mechanisms to promote the timely transfer of technology related to a new paradigm for low carbon transport. Cost effective low carbon or even carbon-free transport strategies can be structured through Nationally Appropriate Mitigation Actions (NAMAs) and deliver sustainable development and climate resilient transport systems.

(6) We encourage the Parties at COP-19 to act quickly to ensure near-term progress:

a. Strengthen developed countries pre-2020 GHG mitigation commitments for the land transport sector.

b. Encourage and support developing country efforts aligned with sustainable development strategies and plans;

c. Explore ways to strengthen financial incentives, including NAMAs and other means of implementation to unlock dormant mitigation potential, reduce black carbon and address adaptation needs, and redress conventional climate finance mechanisms that have been under-utilized in the land transport sector;

d. Show strong support for complementary measures being taken in other multilateral forums for reducing emissions especially to remove fossil fuel subsidies, improve vehicle efficiency, phase out HFCs, reduce emissions from international aviation and shipping, and develop post-2015 development goals supporting sustainable low carbon transport strategies and development, including the UN Secretary General’s Climate Summit planned for September 2014.

e. Provide long-term funding for the technology mechanism and the Climate Technology Centre and Network (CTCN) and support the preparation of Technology Needs Assessments and Road maps that would bring the greatest and most rapid sustainable reductions of emissions and agree to a process that would deliver a global Technology Action Plan in 2015 for land transport.

(8) We call upon the Parties to ensure that within the Post-2015 framework on climate there are appropriate incentives (financial and other) to ensure that transport plays a prominent role in national emission targets, low carbon development strategies, NAMAs, technology transfer and other opportunities to address the growing emissions from land transport.

We affirm the need for a comprehensive and ambitious 2015 climate agreement, that fully realizes the mitigation potential of the land transport sector, cutting CO2 and black carbon emissions without compromising the role of transport sector in development.

We hereby declare our commitment to work together to achieve safe, clean, reliable, affordable access for all and commit to this Warsaw Statement on Low Carbon Transport and Sustainable Development.

This declaration is available in Portuguese, Spanich and Chinese on SLoCat website

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