COP27: Hopes for a sustainable global transport system at an all-time high

COP27: Hopes for a sustainable global transport system at an all-time high

Subject: Environment

Context-

• Leaders at COP27, are discussing the transport sector, which is one of the top polluters globally.
• While the transition towards low-carbon transport is a priority, there is a need to develop solutions that also meet the other goals of transport, including access for all, efficiency, and safety.

Promise given by major stakeholders in the transport sector-

• The Union Internationale des Transports Publics (UTIP), an international association of public transport, expects COP27 to bring sustainable transport to the forefront of this year’s climate talks.

Ambitious but realistic goals

• The International Maritime Organisation (IMO) has committed to reducing GHG emissions from shipping.
• The organisation’s strategic plan for 2018-2023 firmly supports the implementation of the United Nations’ Sustainable Developments Goals and identifies them as one of IMO’s main directions.
• Shipping contributes to almost 3 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions annually.
• It is critical for the global economy with about 90 per cent of trade carried on ships.
• For the industry to meet the 1.5 degrees Celsius target in-line with the Paris Agreement, the sector must meet its 2030 breakthrough goal of having scalable zero-emission fuels that make up 5 per cent of the international shipping fuel mix.
• The IMO’s commitment is to reduce carbon intensity per transport work by at least 40 per cent by 2030, pursuing efforts towards 70 per cent by 2050, and total annual GHG emissions from international shipping by at least 50 per cent by 2050.
• A correspondence group was established by MEPC 78 to develop draft guidelines on the lifecycle GHG intensity of marine fuels (LCA Guidelines).
• In October this year, the International Civil Aviation Organisation’s assembly sets the goal of “net-zero carbon emissions by 2050”.

Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) commitments-

• From COP26, a major decision was taken by a group of nations to sign the International Aviation Climate Ambition Declaration.
• Its key aims are to ensure the maximum effectiveness of the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA), and the development and deployment of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF).
• Global airlines have shown commitments to SAF in the run-up to the COP27 with British Airways, Air France-KLM and Qatar Airways leading the way.

Initiatives taken are-

• British Airways, LanzaJet and Nova Pangaea Technologies have signed an agreement to accelerate the Project Speedbird initiative to develop cost-effective SAF for commercial use.
• Air France-KLM signed multi-year contracts with SAF providers Neste and DG Fuels for a total volume of 1.6 million tons.
• These contracts represent a first step by the Group towards achieving its 10 per cent SAF incorporation targets by 2030 and will cover approximately 3 of those 10 per cent.

What is Green Transport?

• Green transport (Sustainable transport), refers to modes of transportation that do not negatively impact the environment and ecological balance as well as human health.

Components for evaluating sustainability include:

• Vehicles (car, bus, aeroplane, ships etc.)
• Source of energy (wind and solar energy, electricity, and biomass etc)
• Infrastructure (roads, railways, airways, waterways)

Benefits:

• Improves Air Quality:
  • Replacing many separate emissions-producing vehicles with fewer transit vehicles that generally emit less pollution on a per person basis.
• Reduces Greenhouse Gas Emissions:
  • By moving more people with fewer vehicles, public transportation can reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Public transportation produces significantly lower greenhouse gas emissions per passenger mile than private vehicle
• Reduces Congestion:
  • Along with reducing greenhouse gas emissions by facilitating compact development, public transit also reduces congestion and traffic on the roads.
  • By reducing congestion, transit reduces emissions from cars stuck in traffic.
• Promotes Health:
  • Because sustainable transit reduces emissions and air pollution, it also promotes community health.
  • Other sustainable modes of transportation, like biking and walking, also provide physical exercise to commuters while emitting zero emissions. This betters their health, as well as that of the entire community.
• E- Mobility
  • Electromobility is the use of electric cars, as well as e-bikes or pedelecs, electric motorbikes, e-buses and e-trucks.
  • The common feature of all of them is that they are fully or partly driven electrically, have a means of storing energy on board, and obtain their energy mainly from the power grid.
  • E-mobility comes with zero or ultra-low tailpipe emissions of local air pollutants and much lower noise, and, by being one of the most innovative clusters for the automotive sector, can provide a major boost to economic and industrial competitiveness, attracting investments, especially in countries.