Promoting the transition to sustainable transport in Asia

Context

The transport sector accounts for around 24 per cent of global energy-related CO₂ emissions (IEA 2020). If current rates of economic development remain the same, a third of the world’s CO₂ emissions in the transport sector are expected to come from Asia by 2030.

If they are to meet the objectives of the Paris Agreement, Asian countries need to set clear and ambitious decarbonisation targets and fundamentally change how both goods and people are transported.

Objective

China, India and Viet Nam are carrying out a low-carbon transition in their transport sector and achieving the climate neutrality targets they have set themselves.

Approach

The programme promotes measures for compliance with the nationally determined contributions (NDCs) in transport. Additionally, it supports long-term climate strategies and the attainment of the 2025 NDC milestone.

In China, the programme is contributing to the development of a strategy for reducing transport-related greenhouse gas and air pollutant emissions by 2030. In this context, it offers technical support to the national government and the province of Guangdong, holds stakeholder dialogues and is improving modelling capabilities.

In India, it is helping to develop the stakeholder platform ‘Forum for Decarbonising Transport’. Additionally, the programme provides advisory services to political actors on measures in the field of electric mobility, with a focus on charging infrastructure.

In Viet Nam, the programme is improving the policy framework to promote and measure low-emission development in the transport sector. This involves supporting the implementation of the NDCs through national and urban e-mobility plans as well as fuel consumption standards.

As a regional initiative, the programme uses events, media and publications to draw attention to the topic. With the Council for Decarbonising Transport in Asia and targeted activities in Thailand and the Philippines, it supports the development of long-term strategies for decarbonising transport in the region.

Last update: May 2023