Supporting the development of measures designed to reduce traffic-related greenhouse gas emissions (TRANSfer III)

Project description

Title: International Climate Initiative (IKI): Facilitating the development of ambitious transport mitigation actions (TRANSfer III)
Commissioned by: German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Building and Nuclear Safety (BMUB) within the scope of the International Climate Initiative (IKI)
Countries: Global, including Indonesia, Philippines, Peru
Partner: Indonesia: Ministry of Transport (MoT); Peru: Ministerio de Transportes y Comunicaciones (MTC); Philippines: Department of Transport and Communication (DOTC)
Overall term: 2017 to 2020

Context

In 40% of all countries around the world, most energy is consumed by the transport sector. Worldwide, this sector accounts for around one quarter of energy-related CO2 emissions. It is also one of the fastest growing sectors. To achieve the international community’s two-degree target – which aims to restrict global warming to a maximum of two degrees Celsius in the long term – transport has to undergo extensive transformation and decarbonisation. In other words, carbon-based energy sources have to be taken out of the transport sector. This is expected to give rise to additional annual investment needs of around USD 150 billion.

There are four barriers that need surmounting in order to mobilise private and public finance for sustainable solutions in emerging economies and developing countries: (1) lack of opportunities for channelling finance into sustainable modes of transport, (2) excessively high transaction costs for the development of mitigation measures, (3) lack of fully developed and financeable mitigation measures and (4) and limited experience of climate protection in the transport sector.

Objective

Developing countries and emerging economies commit more strongly to climate-friendly transport.

Approach

TRANSfer is a global programme designed to motivate international donors to participate in the development of climate protection measures in the transport sector and so increase the number of countries and measures receiving support.

More than three quarters of national climate protection goals agreed in 2015 by the international community in Paris prioritise a reduction in transport sector emissions. TRANSfer III is thus working with five countries to design practicable mitigation measures, such as efficient freight transport in Indonesia and Peru and urban transport and emissions standards in the Philippines.

With sustainability being such a crucial aspect of cooperation with partner countries, TRANSfer is establishing multi-donor initiatives and standardised toolkits that enable transport sector mitigation measures to be prepared more effectively.
Events such as the Transport and Climate Change Week in Berlin promote South-South knowledge exchanges.

Purpose-built knowledge products and participation in international networks make data accessible to third parties while international learning processes trigger greater commitment to climate protection in transport. As a result, at least 60 tonnes of CO2 can be saved over a ten-year period.