BAKU, Azerbaijan, November 20. Urban transport must become greener and more accessible, said Anacláudia Rossbach, UN-Habitat Executive Director, at the "Greening Urban Transport" session as part of COP29 in Baku, Trend reports.
Rossbach emphasized that transport is one of the fastest-growing sources of emissions worldwide. Without decisive action, this trend is expected to worsen, with transportation activity projected to double by 2050.
"As an advocate for urbanism and as Executive Director of UN-Habitat, I am confident that the solution lies in transforming our cities," she said.
She noted that the necessary tools for change are already available, but what is needed is a shift in direction, prioritizing transparent policies and investments that take into account environmental and social equity.
"Reducing emissions requires a change in how we move around our cities. We must make public transport, pedestrian routes, bike lanes, and shared rides so convenient and accessible that they become the preferred choice, even for current car drivers," she added.
Rossbach also highlighted the importance of developing compact, multifunctional areas with multimodal electric public transport systems that connect affordable housing with opportunities like jobs and services.
"Cities with para-transit systems should receive support to modernize their networks to provide higher-quality, environmentally friendly services while remaining accessible to all," the official added.
To note, the 29th session of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP29), which will run until November 22, opened at the Baku Olympic Stadium on November 11. It is the largest event organized by Azerbaijan to date, and the first time in the region that it is being held in Azerbaijan.
Within COP29, the highest-level event - the summit of world leaders on climate action - was held on November 12–13.
The main expectation from COP29 is to agree on a fair and ambitious New Collective Quantitative Goal (NCQG) on climate finance. The COP29 Presidency has launched 14 initiatives that include linkages between climate action and the Sustainable Development Goals, including green energy corridors, green energy storage, harmony for climate resilience, clean hydrogen, methane reduction in organic waste, action on green digital technologies, and other topics.
In addition to being a top priority that creates the conditions for action, creating climate finance will also help fulfill the 1.5°C pledge by bringing everyone together.
The UN Framework Convention on Climate Change is an agreement signed at the Rio Earth Summit in June 1992 to prevent dangerous human interference in the climate system. The acronym COP (Conference of Parties) stands for “Conference of Parties” and is the highest legislative body overseeing the implementation of the Framework Convention on Climate Change.
A total of 198 countries are parties to the Convention. Unless otherwise decided by the parties, COP is held annually. The first COP event was held in March 1995 in Berlin, and its secretariat is located in Bonn.
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