BAKU, Azerbaijan, November 20. The goal of the International Association of Public Transport (UITP) is for all countries to include public transport in their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) by the next COP, the union's Secretary General Umberto de Pretto said at the high-level roundtable session themed "Greening urban transport" today, Trend reports.
"Cities account for 70 percent of CO2 emissions in the transport sector. However, a third of countries still have not included public transport in their NDCs.
Our goal is to ensure that by the next COP conference, all countries integrate public transport into their plans. To achieve this, it is important to understand that the decarbonization of transport is not just a technological issue. A key factor is the shift in mobility models. If an electric bus gets stuck in traffic, it does not make public transport more attractive.
Therefore, it is crucial to prioritize public transport, pedestrian routes, and cycling, as this will contribute to the transition to sustainable modes of transport. It is also necessary to set clear targets for reducing emissions in the transport sector. For example, to achieve the global goal of reducing CO2 emissions by 41 percent by 2030, it's important to consider the contribution of each sector," he emphasized.
He emphasizes that the transport sector must achieve a fifty percent reduction in CO2 emissions, necessitating a strategic pivot in mobility paradigms, placing this transformation above the adoption of innovative technologies.
"It is important to integrate public transport into national strategies. While it's a local service, the interaction between national and local levels of governance plays a key role. We also need to build capacity, which includes the development of new UITP guidance on NDCs in collaboration with partner associations. This tool will help countries more effectively define their nationally determined contributions," he 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.
The main expectation from COP29 is to agree on a fair and ambitious New Collective Quantitative Goal (NCQG) on climate finance. The COP29 chairmanship 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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