?22– 23 September 2020 ? 12:30 – 15:30 (Bangkok time)
Virtual
The transport sector is a leading contributor to greenhouse gas emissions and a major consumer of fossil fuels. In the Asia-Pacific region, the transport sector accounts for 51.9 percent of the total oil consumption and contributes to nearly 13.5 percent of the total carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, with road vehicles accounting for the majority of the sector’s emissions.
The sharp expected rise in demand for passenger and freight transport in Asia and the Pacific is expected to place the ESCAP region among the highest emitting regions in the world by 2050, thus calling for urgent measures to mitigate the impact of transport on the environment and its contribution to climate change. The potential impacts of climatic changes on regional transport networks and services in Asia and the Pacific also warrant policy attention. Rising sea levels, increased frequency of extreme weather events, and extreme temperature variability necessitate adaptation measures, to reduce the vulnerabilities and increase the resilience of the region’s transport systems to climatic impacts.
In light of the pressing need to systematically and impactfully incorporate climate considerations in regional transport policy, the Expert Group Meeting will provide a platform to (i) discuss policy measures for achieving low-carbon transport pathways for the region and reducing GHG emissions from transport; (ii) assess the climatic vulnerabilities and possible adaptation measures needed for transport infrastructure, systems and services in the region and; (iii) identify viable strategies for climate change mitigation and adaptation in the transport sector, including financing.
Original source: UNESCAP
