A Pathway towards Decarbonized and Cleaner Mobility in Asia and

the Pacific – Starting from the region's key priorities 

Pre-Session: 2 May (Tuesday)

Main Session -3~ 4 May (Wednesday, Thursday)

 Application form

http://bit.ly/40djhkz

Background

By 2021, 131 countries have incorporated or are considering adopting carbon neutrality targets in their national approaches in compliance with the Paris Agreement [1].

Nonetheless, the international society must make a deliberate effort to be on the right track towards achieving the goals of the Paris Agreement. Especially international authoritative agencies in science and the environment, such as IPCC, UNFCCC, UNEP, and WMO, strongly urge all national and relevant stakeholders to take bold and proactive climate actions, with a warning exceeding 1.5 degrees Celsius of warming above the pre-industrial level within five years with a 40% confidence level [2].

Given this, the international society needs to accelerate the translation of global ambitious commitments into bold and decisive climate actions. According to the fact sheet released by the United Nations Sustainable Transport Conference in October 2021, the transportation sector accounts for 25 percent of the total GHG emissions and heavily relies on fossil fuels, which make up 95 percent of energy sources for transportation globally [3]. Taking into consideration the transportation sector as one of the largest GHG emitters, the international society pays attention to the transition towards sustainable transportation.

Against the backdrop of emerging needs for the transition into sustainable transportation on a path towards carbon neutrality, UNITAR CIFAL Jeju and ICLEI are jointly hosting a capacity-building workshop on low-emission and cleaner transportation in Asia and the Pacific on 3-4 May, which is back-to-back with the International Electric Vehicle Expo* (IEVE) taking place in Jeju, South Korea.

The workshop aims to enhance the capacity of central and local governmental authorities from the Asia-Pacific region to promote sustainable transportation. Tailored to the needs arising from the greener and cleaner transportation in the Asia-Pacific region, the workshop features key findings from the needs assessment survey and sessions from the previous workshops: urgency to tackle imminent and critical environmental problems (massive carbon emissions, air pollution, etc.) resulted from the high usage rate of fossil fuel-based two-three wheelers, old buses, and commercial fleets. Therefore, with these priorities in mind, the learning opportunity is planned to provide insights into policy frameworks for sustainable transportation, public transportation-oriented urban planning techniques, financial mechanisms, and sustainable transportation technologies available on the market.

 *IEVE is an international platform for presenting state-of-the-art technology in green mobility and energy and building networks among relevant stakeholders.

[1]World Meteorological Organization with its key global partners (UN Environment Programme, Global Carbon Project, etc.), United in Science 2022, 2022

[2]World Economic Forum, Climate Indicators-What Makes a Good Net Zero Target?, 2021

[3]United Nations, Second United Nations Global Sustainable Transport Conference - Fact Sheet, 2021

Organizers

UNITAR CIFAL Jeju/Jeju International Training Center

ICLEI East Asia Secretariat

Venue (Hybrid)

Offline: Jeju International Training Center, Jeju International Convention Center

Online: Zoom Webinar

* The Day 2 of the workshop will be held in conjunction with a policy conference of the 10th International Electric Vehicle Expo which will be zoom-streamed.  Hence, sessions on the DAY 2 will be joined by online participants and visitors of the 10th International Electric Vehicle Expo.

Participants

This webinar is open to Asia and the Pacific government officials, relevant personnel from public organizations, decision-makers of NGOs, Civil Societies, and institutions who are working in the field of road transport and active seek an opportunity to make a change in a society by taking effective actions to promote sustainable road transportation.

Themes

- Key findings from previous years’ workshop (A Research conducted by Dr. Lee Hun-Ki of the Korea Transport Institute on the road transportation sector of developing countries in Asia, and a need assessment survey from ICLEI East Asia Secretariat)

- Strategy and policy guidelines for key areas aligned with the carbon neutrality targets or National Determined Contribution of the countries. This includes the decarbonization of carbon-intensive, old and inefficient public transportation, commercial fleets, two- and three-wheelers.

- Recommendations for international and national approaches to leverage innovative policies and state-of-the-art technology. This includes TOD Planning, mobility options (electronic/hydrogen) and technologies, smart solutions for public transport services, financial mechanisms, and private sector engagement, among others.

- Group and individual project development

Expected Outcomes

By the end of the training workshop, participants are expected to:

-  Raise awareness of the environmental impacts caused by the heavy reliance on fossil fuel-based and obsolete mobilities such as two- and three-wheelers, old buses, and commercial fleets.

-  Fully understand the needs and become familiar with guidelines of strategic directions and policies to guide the green transition of road transportation.

-  Take stock of knowledge on technical measures such as urban Planning, technology, and financial mechanisms to implement the policies and strategies.

- Enhance capacities for developing projects (logic frameworks and action plans) in the area of low-carbon and cleaner road transportation and convert them into project proposals.

-  Expand networks and identify partners with expertise to assist governments to improving their practices.

- Agenda (tentative)

*The program above is subject to change.
**The details of the Group/Individual Activity Module will be provided during the workshop.