Multilateral Development Banks work on sustainable transport

Rio+20 Commitment

USD 175 billion for transport in developing countries between 2012-2022

Eight Multilateral Development Banks (MDBs) have targeted to provide more than US$175 billion of loans and grants for transport in developing countries between 2012-2022. This target is included in the MDBs’ Joint Statement of 2012 as one of the 17 Voluntary Commitments on Sustainable Transport during the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development, also known as Rio 2012 (Rio+20).

The June 2012 joint statement “Commitment to Sustainable Transport” was issued at the Rio+20 United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development by the following institutions:

MDB Working Group on Sustainable Transport

Since 2016, SLOCAT has been providing secretariat services to support the MDBs Working Group on Sustainable Transport in scaling up existing success stories and pioneering investments.

Conducted summary analysis of the Working Group’s achievements from 2012 to 2018 to outline:

Identification of potentials to create systemic change in sustainable transport financing activities.
Reflections on the need to further refine methodologies and common indicators for evaluation and reporting.

Conducted initial planning for a workshop:*

Focus on transport good practices on road safety, climate change adaptation, Mobility-as-a-System in CAF member countries.
Based on criteria developed by SLOCAT and consortium members (Despacio, UITP and WRI).
Aligning good practices with economic, social, and environmental aspects with the potential to transform access for vulnerable persons.

*Workshop was cancelled by CAF, in its capacity of rotating chair for the Working Group, due to the global pandemic.

Progress reports and other resources

Engagement in EIB Climate Bank Roadmap 2021-2025

In November 2019, the EIB’s Board of Directors approved a new level of ambition for the EIB towards climate action and environmental sustainability. The EIB now needs to turn this ambition into reality and would like interested stakeholders to accompany it in developing its roadmap – the Climate Bank Roadmap 2021-2025 – that will guide this transition. The Climate Bank Roadmap will determine how the EIB Group will implement the new ambition over the period 2021 to 2025. The scope of this ambition is broad – touching upon the climate, environmental and social aspects underpinning sustainable development. Engagement on the Climate Bank Roadmap 2021-2025 will complement future public consultations, including most immediately the EIB transport lending policy and the EIB Environmental and Social Statement and the related Standards, which are due to start in 2020. The EIB is soliciting our views and inputs on how the Bank can best achieve its ambitions. This is certainly a critical opportunity for the sustainable, low carbon transport community to have an impact on the activities of the bank, especially as they relate to transport. SLOCAT has gathered inputs from partners as to make a collective transport contribution to the EIB process.

SLOCAT’s submission to the EIB Climate Bank Roadmap 2021-2025 Position Paper

This submission has been developed by the SLOCAT Partnership Secretariat with contributions from Climate Environment Services Group (CESG), Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), ICLEI-Local Governments for Sustainability, the International Association of Public Transport (UITP), the International Union of Railways (UIC), Kuehne Logistics University, MobiliseYourCity Partnership, POLIS, Rupprecht Consult, Transport and Environment, Walk21, World Resources Institute (WRI), World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), and is made on behalf of all partners of SLOCAT. The submission was sent to the EIB on 24 April, in line with key deadlines. Please contact chris.dekki@slocatpartnership.org with any questions.

Asian Transport Outlook

ADB has initiated the Asian Transport Outlook (ATO) to strengthen the knowledge base on transport in Asia and the Pacific region. The ATO is developed in support of the planning and delivery of ADB transport sector assistance.

At the same time, the ATO supports Asian governments in transport policy development and delivery. ADB is working with other interested parties in developing the ATO as an instrument to track the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals, the Paris Agreement and other relevant international agreements on sustainable development in the transport sector.

Likewise, the ATO also serves as input in regional transport initiatives, such as the ESCAP Regional Action Programme for Transport Development in Asia and the Pacific, the ASEAN Kuala Lumpur Strategic Action Plan and the Environmental Sustainable Transport Forum 2021-2030 Declaration on Sustainable Transport.

The ATO is an open data resource that creates an institutionalised process for transport data and policy information collection, analysis and documentation.

The ATO collects, organizes, and shares data on the transport sector in 51 countries using more than 450 indicators. It also documents the institutional frameworks, policies, and financing of transport in these countries. This is a multiyear program initially funded by ADB but eventually intended to become a stand-alone program with funding from multiple sources.

SLOCAT supported Phase 1 of the ATO from November 2020 until April 2021.

Joint Islamic Development Bank – Integrated Climate and Sustainability Actions

The Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) and the SLOCAT Partnership on Sustainable, Low Carbon Transport are engaged in a multi-phase research collaboration on transport and climate change in IsDB member countries. The project addresses a number of challenges faced by IsDB member countries, including rapid urbanisation, rising motorisation rates, growing greenhouse gas emissions, climate change vulnerabilities, upstream capacity constraints and limited pipelines for infrastructure projects.