It’s now or never for climate action in transport

The transport sector is a key enabler of prosperity and livelihoods. In 2021, it contributed 7% (USD 6.8 trillion) of the global gross domestic product and employed 5.6% of the world’s workforce (193 million people).

But current paradigms of how people and goods are moved, and how transport systems are powered also drive growing emissions, air pollution, and energy demand. Transport remains the second largest and fastest-growing source of CO₂ emissions, and is highly vulnerable to the impacts of climate-related risks. Clean transport will require an estimated USD 2.7 trillion annually through 2050 – seven times current spending. With many transport systems in low- and middle-income countries still developing, this decade is a decisive window to avoid inefficient investments and costly retrofits.

2025 is a critical juncture for limiting global warming to 1.5ºC through transport systems and services that are climate compatible and environmentally responsible, socially inclusive, economically viable, and resilient.

2025 marks:

• The tenth anniversary of the Paris Agreement
• The elaboration by countries of new Nationally Determined Contributions with 2035 targets
• The five-year countdown to the implementation deadline for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and the IPCC target to reduce greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) by 43% to limit global warming to 1.5ºC
• The eve of the UN Decade of Sustainable Transport 2026-2035

COP30 is a critical opportunity to put sustainable transport back on the COP agenda, accelerate the sector’s critical role in climate and sustainability goals, and deliver coordinated action for long-lasting impact.

But our work does not begin at COP30. For over 15 years, SLOCAT has worked alongside the global transport community to champion sustainable transport within UNFCCC processes and to facilitate the engagement of transport stakeholders at COPs. Through our Global Status Report on Transport, Climate and Sustainability, we have provided data-driven insights. Through dedicated analyses and guidance, we have supported the development of Nationally Determined Contributions and low-carbon, sustainable transport pathways. In addition, we are contributing thought leadership and fostering engagement in preparation for the United Nations Decade of Sustainable Transport (2026–2035), set to commence in January 2026.

COP30: A Turning Point for Climate Action in Transport” is a strategic call to put sustainable transport at the heart of the climate response in the run-up to the UN Climate Change Conference COP30 in Belém. Decision-makers, advocacy groups and practitioners should use this brief to support national governments to deliver bold transport targets and actions in their new Nationally Determined Contributions, as well as to demand climate negotiators to scale up climate finance in transport, prioritise transport adaptation and resilience to protect communities and economies, and lever key UNFCCC platforms to accelerate transport action.

The transport sector is a key enabler of prosperity and livelihoods. In 2021, it contributed 7% (USD 6.8 trillion) of the global gross domestic product and employed 5.6% of the world’s workforce (193 million people).

But current paradigms of how people and goods are moved, and how transport systems are powered also drive growing emissions, air pollution, and energy demand. Transport remains the second-largest and fastest-growing source of CO₂ emissions, and is highly vulnerable to the impacts of climate-related risks. Clean transport will require an estimated USD 2.7 trillion annually through 2050 – seven times current spending. With many transport systems in low- and middle-income countries still developing, this decade is a decisive window to avoid inefficient investments and costly retrofits.

COP30 is a critical opportunity to put sustainable transport back on the COP agenda, accelerate the sector’s critical role in climate and sustainability goals, and deliver coordinated action for long-lasting impact.

To strengthen transport systems and services that are climate compatible and environmentally responsible, socially inclusive, economically viable, and resilient, progress in four key areas must be prioritised in the run up to COP30 to aim to:

1. Deliver bold NDCs to supercharge climate action,:

• Including robust  transport actions in new NDCs can unlock multiple benefits,  from boosted investment and prosperity to reduced emissions and cleaner cities, greater resilience and energy security, improved efficiency and cost savings, more inclusive access to opportunities and diversified infrastructure, and inclusive collaborative approaches.

• The Global Stocktake (GST) on the implementation of the Paris Agreement called on countries to urgently reduce emissions from road transport through a range of pathways, including investing in infrastructure and services as well as the scaling up of zero- and low-emission vehicles. It also asked countries to phase out inefficient fossil fuel subsidies and transition away from fossil fuels in energy systems in a just, orderly and equitable manner, accelerating action in this critical decade, so as to achieve net zero by 2050.
• To support countries in enhancing transport ambition and implementation in NDCs, SLOCAT proposes a five-point plan:
• Set targets – Countries must set ambitious, transport-specific 2035 GHG and non-GHG targets aligned with net-zero pathways by 2050,
• Scale up action – Countries must accelerate transformation towards energy-efficient and fossil-free transport
• Secure assets – Countries must build resilience and adaptation on transport and mobility
• Catalyse finance – Countries must shift finance and investment to low-carbon, resilient transport solutions.Prioritise people – People must be at the centre of climate action in transport, with a just transition for workers, and improved access to inclusive, low-carbon transport services. 

2. Scale Up Climate Finance in Sustainable Transport to Power Change

• Clean transport solutions will cost roughly USD 2.7 trillion annually until 2050 – seven times the current investment levels in transport. The investment gaps are the highest in low- and middle-income countries in Africa and Asia.
• As the global community works to mobilise $1.3 trillion annually by 2035 to address multiple priorities in climate action for LMICs, investing in sustainable transport must be part of the solution.
• The climate finance choices we make today will shape transport systems for generations. That’s why the Baku to Belém Roadmap to 1.3T must
• “earmark climate finance for transport” to enablet long-term investment in clean infrastructure and systems, avoid stranded assets. It should also 
• “set transport-specific eligibility criteria” to ensure fair and transparent access to funding, developed in dialogue with transport actors. Finally, it must 
• “apply just transition principles” through social dialogue and dedicated plans, in line with the ILO’s just transition framework

3. Prioritise Transport Adaptation and Resilience to Protect Communities and Economies  

• Climate-related hazards cause around USD 15 billion in damage to transport systems each year, with over USD 8 billion occurring in low and middle income countries, where the economic impact is most severe. Without stronger policies, the sector could face up to 97.8 percent infrastructure loss by 2050, the highest of any sector. In addition to the physical damage, transport disruptions have severe impacts on communities and economies.
• COP30 can lead global action on adaptation, resilience, and loss and damage in transport
• Transport indicators and targets should be integrated into the UAE Belem Work Programme and the Global Goal on Adaptation, with sector expertise guiding their definition in relation to infrastructure and human settlements
• The Loss and Damage Fund should prioritise transport needs and involve transport stakeholders in shaping the Fund’s operations manual to reflect national priorities

4. Leverage Key UNFCCC Platforms to Accelerate Transport Action 

• The UAE Dialogue on the Global Stocktake (GST) should explicitly acknowledge the transport commitments from paragraph 28 g of the GST and outline steps for full implementation, with annual high level dialogues through 2028 involving both governmental and non-governmental  transport actors.
• Within the Sharm el Sheikh Mitigation Work Programme, the Global Dialogues should continue featuring transport, starting with the 2026 Dialogue on waste and the circular economy, and ensure any digital platform includes transport-specific elements.
• The Just Transition Work Programme should explicitly address transport and the impacts on workers and communities, aligned with the Global Stocktake.

Transport is where climate action meets reality. Sustainable transport enables thriving communities and economies in a liveable planet. In the spirit of the mutirão which has been called by the COP30 Presidency of Brazil, COP30 must accelerate sustainable transport with real political power, and deliver coordinated action for long-lasting impact. This publication is part of SLOCAT Partnership’s efforts to place sustainable transport at the heart of the COP30 agenda.