The founding Secretary General of the Partnership on Sustainable, Low Carbon Transport (SLoCaT), Cornie Huizenga is stepping down from his position after nine years of excellent service to the organization. Cornie was instrumental in bringing together the sustainable transport community around a common cause to integrate sustainable transport in climate change and sustainable development discussions, building the SLoCaT brand and developing a strong team dedicated to the mission. Under his leadership, sustainable transport finally received the recognition in global negotiations on climate change and the 2030 development agenda. A few highlights from the achievements of the past decade:

• setting up the largest multi-stakeholder network on sustainable, low carbon transport and its successful institutionalization through the establishment of the SLoCaT Foundation;
• facilitating the development of the unprecedented $175 billion voluntary commitment for more sustainable transport by the seven largest multilateral development banks, which has resulted in the development of the MDB Working Group on Sustainable Transport;
• facilitate the creation of 22 multi-stakeholder initiatives on low carbon transport making transport the best represented sector under the Marrakech Partnership on Global Climate Action;
• help prepare the ground for the first UN Secretary General High Level Advisory Panel on Sustainable Transport;
• advocate the integration of transport in the New Urban Agenda (Habitat III), making transport the best represented sector;
• co-founder of the Paris Process on Mobility and Climate Change, substantially raising the visibility and profile of transport in the UNFCCC process resulting in particular recognition of transport in the NDCs;
• supported the setting up of Sustainable Mobility 4 All, served in its Steering Committee and co-led the Green Working Group;
• accelerating of action on the decarbonization of transport through the development of the Transport Decarbonization Alliance, which brings together countries, cities and companies.

Cornie and the SLoCaT team in 2017 team retreat

In his farewell statement Cornie said: “Nine years ago, a group of committed people had the idea that more could and should be done to push the sustainable transport agenda at the global level. It has been my privilege to serve as the external face of this effort.  I have done so with all my energy and together with the wonderful team in the SLoCaT Secretariat and many others we have been able to change the institutional landscape on sustainable, low carbon transport.”

Following Cornie’s departure, the SLoCaT Board of Directors has appointed Holger Dalkmann as the Interim Secretary General. Holger has been involved in SLoCaT from its inception, he was one of the founding members of the SLoCaT Partnership in the initial 2009 meeting in Bellagio, has been a SLoCaT Board Member since its inauguration in 2014, where he served as the Co-Chair together with Amy Kenyon of Ford Foundation in the last two years. Holger brings over twenty years of experience working in the field of transport, cities, sustainability and climate change.

From 2011 until 2017 he worked for the World Resources Institute in Washington DC. He was Director for its EMBARQ program, which catalyzes environmentally and financially sustainable urban transport solutions to improve quality of life in cities. As EMBARQ transitioned into the newly established WRI Ross Center for Sustainable Cities he was additionally responsible for strategy and global policy. In this capacity Holger led efforts on how to enable cities to benefit from global processes such as COP, SDG and Habitat III.

During his former work at the UK-based consultancy, TRL, and for ten years at the Wuppertal Institute for Energy, Climate and Environment (Germany), a world respected think tank, Holger worked in more than thirty countries on mobility, environment and climate change.

He is also Co-Creator of the Shared Mobility Principles for Livable Cities, which a working group of international NGOs designed to guide urban decision-makers and stakeholders toward the best outcomes for all.

Last year he moved to Berlin where he operates as an independent consultant working on those issues with a variety of organisations like the German Corporation for International Cooperation (GIZ), the Department for International Development (DFID) and World Bank. He also joined Agora Verkehrswende as Senior Advisor in September 2017 to lead the international engagement of the institution and create an international strategy.

Holger holds a Masters degree in Geography and taught at the University of Duisburg and University of Trier. He has published over 100 articles including the influential Avoid-Shift-Improve concept. Holger is a world recognized expert, and has established a strong international network in the fields of transport, sustainable development and climate change cooperating.

Holger and the SLoCaT team at COP 23

In his statement, Holger said “Please join me in expressing our respect and congratulations to Cornie for his huge achievements setting up the Partnership on Sustainable Low Carbon Transport (SLoCaT) and raising the flag of the transport sector on the international stage. I feel honored to step in at this turning point for the organization and to work together with the team to deliver on SLoCaT’s mission, something I strongly believe in and I am passionate about. I am looking forward to working with you all in the wider community to continue and further strengthening the partnership and to further scale our common impact.”