Antonio Guterres highlighted the connection between transportation and global sustainability on the inaugural World Sustainable Transport Day, emphasizing the importance of the sector as a facilitator of human progress. He also noted, however, the alarming reality that the transport sector is responsible for a quarter of all greenhouse gas emissions and 91 percent of energy used in motorized transport is derived from fossil fuels.
The Secretary-General expressed confidence in humanity’s capacity to confront this issue, encouraging collective action to switch to sustainable alternatives. He outlined a vision for a resilient, efficient, and low-carbon transportation future, including electric and solar-powered vehicles, renewable aviation fuel sources, investments in green public transportation systems, and carbon pricing and subsidies for low-carbon fuels.
“There is no time to waste. Let’s get moving,” Mr. Guterres urged, with Sustainable transport, policies and innovative technologies to be the focus of the UN Climate Change Conference, COP28, beginning in Dubai on November 30.