Publication Date: December 2023
Developed by the Economic Commission for Europe (ECE) Inland Transport Committee, this report is part of a strategic initiative to formulate policies aimed at substantially reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from inland transport in alignment with the Paris Agreement. Funded and supported under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) framework, it critically examines national and regional commitments, focusing on Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), Long-Term Strategies (LTS), and Voluntary National Reviews (VNRs).
Key messages:
- Countries must significantly strengthen and clarify their transport-specific emission targets in NDCs, with current targets insufficiently ambitious to meet Paris Agreement objectives.
- Prioritising integrated land-use and transport planning (Avoid) alongside public transport enhancement and active mobility infrastructure (Shift) is critical, yet these areas are underrepresented in national strategies.
- Accelerating electrification and improving vehicle efficiency standards (Improve) remain central actions for transport decarbonisation, with electrification being the most advanced globally.
- Financial flows must urgently shift from fossil-fuel subsidies to support sustainable, zero-emission transport infrastructure and technologies.
- Subnational governments and cities should be empowered and included explicitly in national decarbonisation efforts to ensure impactful local implementation.
