“Poverty eradication is the greatest global challenge facing the world today and an indispensable requirement for sustainable development.”

– Transforming our World: The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, October 2015

Inclusive Sustainable Transport in Support of Action on Equity and Poverty (i-STEP)

In 2016, the SLoCaT Partnership has initiated a new project, Inclusive Sustainable Transport in Support of Action on Equity and Poverty (i-STEP), to explore and advance the crucial role of sustainable transport in eradicating poverty and increasing social equity. The project is being supported by a group of organizations: Ford Foundation, Hewlett Foundation and CAF Development Bank of Latin America. 

Products of the i-STEP project:

1. Literature Review on Poverty and Transport

This Literature Review  is one component of a greater project SLoCaT project: Sustainable Transport in Support of Action on Equity and Poverty (i-STEP), supported by the Ford Foundation, the Hewlett Foundation, and CAF – Development Bank of Latin America. This review, Sustainable Urban Transport in Support of Action on Equity and Poverty, builds on an earlier work prepared by SLoCaT, Poverty and Sustainable Transport (Starkey & Hine 2014), which included urban poverty but was concerned largely with how transport affects the rural poor. The purpose of this review is to further understand the interest in and arguments advanced regarding transport equity within urban contexts and where possible, in the developing and emerging economies, as to date, much of the conceptual work has been conducted in the US and the UK. This review further notes the gaps in research and practice, and recommends actions to move transport equity higher up the global sustainability agenda.

2. i-STEP SLoCaT Member Survey

The i-STEP SLoCaT Member survey was conducted by The Partnership on Sustainable Low Carbon Transport (SLoCaT) in 2016, to take stock of the existing efforts by SLoCaT members and other organizations working on sustainable transport, poverty and sustainable development. The survey was conducted by the SLoCaT Secretariat to get a better understanding of the manner in which organizations currently working on transport are dealing with poverty issues and to gain insights into their future priorities. 

3. White Paper on Consultations Conducted and Recommendations

This white paper prepared by SLoCaT in 2016, is to summarize and distill findings of i-STEP research to date on sustainable transport and poverty, equity and inclusion and relevance to the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda and other global imperatives; Draw on previous research in 2014 by SLoCaT on rural transport and poverty; Analysis by SLoCaT in 2015 on transport’s representation, and potential, within the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) for reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions; Highlight critical findings by SLoCaT on financing of sustainable transport undertaken over 2014-2016; Identify potential i-STEP developmental activities to enhance sustainable transport’s impact in tackling inequality and poverty; Analyze options for action through global actors such as SLoCaT; and suggest a preferred option(s) for the next stage of i-STEP.

4. Round Table Event in New York

The project organized a Round Table with foundations and philanthropists to raise interest in equity issues among possible SLoCaT supporters and solicit support for a multi-year work program on transport and equity. Round Table was organized on June 21st, in New York.