CIFAL Jeju organises Workshop on Building a Carbon-Neutral Society for Our Common Future: the Role of Mobility in Times of Transition

April 22, May 4 & 6 2022 - Centre International de Formation des Autorités et Leaders Jeju (CIFAL Jeju) of the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) organized a Workshop on Building a Carbon-Neutral Society for Our Common Future: the Role of Mobility in Times of Transition, in cooperation with the East Asia Clean Air Cities Network (EACACN) and the Korea Transport Institute (KOTI), also as part of the 9^th International Electric Vehicle Expo Conference. The workshop invited 38 participants from 15 countries mainly in but not limited to the Asia and Pacific region including Australia, Azerbaijan, Cambodia, Germany, India, Indonesia, Mongolia, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines, Republic of Korea, Russia, Sri Lanka, United States, Thailand, and Vietnam.

When talking about sustainable mobility, we often agree that it is not just about infrastructure but also about the people and society that need to be considered together. In this sense, green mobility can be achieved by building an inclusive carbon-neutral society. While bearing in mind the importance of technological innovation in carbon reduction in the transportation sector, this workshop placed its focus on the actual application and implementation of the currently available mobility options in the developing countries’ context. It was crucial for the participants to be informed of various eco-mobility cases, since it was found, from a series of previous workshops on mobility, that the narratives on electrifying vehicle fleets themselves did not serve for the needs of the general public.

Thus, the workshop introduced an actual eco-mobility initiative in Taiwan, co-benefits and co-control cases in London, innovating public transportation case in China and Seoul, to help the participants understand various policy examples. From Pre-session to the final session, six speakers successfully introduced different perspectives and adoptable practices/solutions to participants, including Ms. Beatrice Chng, Program Manager at ICLEI East-Asia Secretariat, Dr. Hun-Ki Lee, Head of Global Transport Cooperation Center at Korea Transport Institute, Mr. Su-Jin Kim, Transportation Senior Specialist at Seoul Urban Solutions Agency, Mr. Changsun Jang, Transport and Sustainable Mobility Lead at GGGI, Ms. Jasmine Kim, Program Manager at East Asia Clean Air Cities Network, and Mr. Chris Liang, Operations Manager at Shenzhen Bus Group.

Building up on thelectures, participants worked as a group and developed eco-mobility proposals. Each group themed their presentations around public transportation, smart transportation, institutions & system, and co-benefits respectively, showcasing their ideas to further improve a city-wide mobility initiative. The workshop also engaged participants in an eco-knowledge quiz to celebrate the Earth Day on April 22^nd on its Pre-session. The main sessions were organized in relation to the 9^th International Electric Vehicle Expo Conference which took place in Jeju-do, Republic of Korea, in a face-to-face setting. Overall, the workshop served as an opportunity to form a network of like-minded peers, learn about practical mobility policy applications, and analyze and design feasible green and inclusive mobility activities for their own communities.