The United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) has positioned an integration of transport policy and public and environmental health at the core of its pan-European strategy, an agenda designed to reshape how countries plan mobility systems through to 2050.

Alongside this, the EU is accelerating its own technical and regulatory interventions to promote active travel, cleaner air and low-emission transport.

Taken together, these developments offer a glimpse of what a cross-sectoral transport policy could look like across Europe.

The Transport, Health and Environment Pan-European Programme (PEP), jointly run by UNECE and WHO/Europe, provides a framework for national governments to align transport policy with the broader goals of reducing non-communicable diseases, cutting emissions and improving liveability. 

Rather than treating walking, wheeling, cycling and public transport as social or environmental ‘add-ons’, THE PEP positions them as primary levers for reducing air pollution, tackling physical inactivity and managing congestion in a cost-effective way.

One of the programme’s most significant contributions is its frameworks and partnerships to support national adaptation to cycling, wheeling and walking strategies, and methods for integrating health metrics into transport appraisal.

A UNECE expert says: “While the strategy does not prescribe actions for individual countries, it includes in its annex an action plan with different possible actions that member states could use to implement the strategy at national level.”

These strategies include not only active mobility promotion, but also improving air quality and reducing emissions, and enhancing road safety for vulnerable users.

Emphasis on regulation and funding

Meanwhile, the EU has complemented this work with a growing suite of regulatory and funding mechanisms. The Zero Pollution Action Plan, updated emissions standards for vehicles, and investment streams for Sustainable Urban Mobility Plans (SUMPs) all reinforce the message that cleaner, healthier transport is not simply desirable, it is necessary to meet Europe’s climate and public health obligations. 

This has translated into wider deployment of low-emission zones, expansion of segregated cycling networks, and the integration of air-quality sensors, traffic modelling and real-time mobility data into cities.

In terms of active travel, evidence compiled under UNECE and WHO/Europe frameworks shows substantial health gains from increased walking and cycling, alongside measurable reductions in particulate matter and nitrogen oxides where cities have reallocated road space. Importantly, many of these interventions are low-cost and rapidly deployable, making them attractive for smaller municipalities as well as major transport authorities.

Teamwork is key

UNECE warns against maintaining siloed approaches: “Fragmented approaches jeopardise climate commitments, strain health systems, and reduce societal resilience,” explains a UNECE expert.

For the UK, no longer part of EU policy processes but still a member of UNECE, there is clear value in observing how continental neighbours are building cross-sector partnerships. The emphasis on health-centred appraisal, national-level active travel strategies and shared monitoring frameworks mirrors UK ambitions, and Europe’s direction of travel suggests the need for systemic integration.

Indeed, UNECE’s example demonstrates that linking transport, health and the environment is not a conceptual exercise: it is a technical programme, backed by data, standards and long-term governance. 

As mobility systems evolve in response to climate pressures and urban demands, this integrated approach is likely to shape the next generation of transport policy on both sides of the Channel.

“The UK is already well advanced in many initiatives aimed at making transport more sustainable and many good practice examples draw directly from UK experiences,” concludes a UNECE expert. 

“Further steps could benefit from being an active party to the activities within THE PEP Partnerships, especially those focusing on active mobility and youth and child friendly mobility; and [more] steps could be made to ensure that the UK is fully aligned with all the UN Inland Transport Conventions and legal agreements.”

Read more from CIHT: Overcoming the barriers to implementing active travel schemes.

UNECE includes 56 member states in Europe, North America and Asia.

Image: parked bikes in Amsterdam, Netherlands. Credit: Shutterstock.