Sourcebook on Energy Efficient and Sustainable Urban Transport

The transport sector has become one of the significant sources of both local and global emissions. Around a quarter of global CO2 emissions come from the transport sector today. Of this, nearly 80% are from the road transport sector alone. An overall increase in GDP and incomes is driving demand for increased mobility and comfort in almost all countries.

While the global impacts from transport emissions may not be perceived in the short term, the local impacts of these emissions, including noise pollution, particularly on residents living in crowded urban settings, are perceived, almost instantaneously. These emissions, both air and noise pollution, have severe impacts on human health such as respiratory diseases (due to high levels of pollutants) and stress (due to high noise levels).

Despite this growing crisis, not enough has been done to curb urban transport emissions. Yet, a range of policy measures and instruments are available, meaning that rapid change is possible with concerted effort. This Sourcebook aims to create awareness about the negative impacts of energy-inefficient, highly polluting, and unsustainable urban transport systems, among Urban Mayors, decision-makers, practitioners, and municipality representatives in small, medium, and large cities in developing countries. More importantly, the Sourcebook also presents in an accessible format, the available policy measures, which in many cases are low-cost measures, that can be embraced to tackle the challenge of shifting to sustainable urban transport systems.

In short, our objective with this Sourcebook is to support relevant stakeholders to make progress towards SDG 11, and in particular, target 11.2 which is to “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”.

Gabriela Prata Dias
Copenhagen Climate Centre