The COP 26 summit in Glasgow had its transport day on the 10th of November 2021, but notably it was only Electric Vehicles on the agenda.
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Transport day at COP was no doubt one of the most important ones of the whole event, with all transport accounting for over one fifth of global emissions. Negotiations provided some positive output, with the UK Government managing to onboard more than 30 countries and dozens of businesses to its previous commitment ending new petrol and diesel car sales by 2030 and HGVs by 2040. Despite this, the three largest global car markets – Germany, China, and the USA – have not yet signed the declaration but businesses and regions within these countries have done.
What is disappointing to see at the summit is the complete absence of discussion around active travel as well as other modes such as public transport. Sue Percy, CEO of the CIHT said:
There must be a place for sustainable transport, it must be baked into local plans if we are to deliver on decarbonisation.
Adequate discussion on active travel and public transport is needed at the global level and in the same dimension as Electric Vehicles to achieve the ambitious decarbonisation targets. This is something the CIHT stands firm on and can be found in this publication.
There is a large unmet demand for cycling and often only meets the needs of those who readily cycle. Much more can be done, with Kyle Fairbairn, Policy Advisor for Planning Transport at the CIHT saying:
This discussion around active travel needs to have a place on the global stage, and the failure to do so a COP is a clear misstep as active travel modes have a huge part to play in decarbonisation efforts. Much more needs to be done to encourage the uptake of these modes and make it accessible for all.
The Transport Day at COP should have been used a platform to come to global agreements on areas that don’t just focus on Electric Vehicles. Serious investment is needed in the promotion of active travel and should be a foundation of sustainability strategy, policy, and planning.
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