Transport and Voluntary National Reviews of SDGs Implementation

The 2030 Agenda encourages member states to submit Voluntary National Reviews (VNRs) to the United Nations High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF), which has been convening annually since 2016 under the auspices of the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). The VNR process aims to facilitate the sharing of experiences among countries, including successes, challenges and lessons learned, with a view to accelerating the implementation of the 2030 Agenda.

Since the first HLPF in 2016, SLOCAT has been assessing the transport dimension in VNRs. The assessment aims to:

• Provide a useful resource for policy-makers to better understand the role of transport in achieving the SDGs;
• Outline recommendations to policy-makers on goal-setting, implementing and reporting on sustainable transport progress;
• Help the transport community (and other relevant sectors e.g. energy, health) better understand the pattern, gaps and opportunities in reporting sustainable transport in the VNR process.

Since the inaugural UN High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF) in 2016, SLOCAT has been assessing transport references in the VNRs. Over the past years, our assessments have found that countries continued to report on transport as a vital sector to implement the SDGs, showcasing on-the-ground implementation and best practices. Through the VNRs, countries have
helped build momentum for the transport sector to move along a more sustainable path.

  Transport actions for Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals

SLOCAT is committed to articulate the breadth of positive interactions between sustainable, low carbon transport and mobility and the 2030 Agenda. Sustainable, low carbon mobility is a powerful driver for positive, systemic transformation of our societies. While sustainable, low carbon transport and mobility is not represented by a stand-alone SDG, its successful implementation supports the achievement of almost every SDG.

The SLOCAT Wheel on Transport and the SDGs aims to articulate the breadth of positive interactions between sustainable, low carbon transport and mobility and the 2030 Agenda. Learn more

Transport and Voluntary National Reviews 2021: Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals in Times of Change

Since 2020 the COVID-19 pandemic is sending a shock wave through societies worldwide and causing significant setbacks to the achievement of the SDGs in the transport sector. At the same time, the pandemic is pushing us to reflect on how we move people and goods, as well as what transformations will affect the future of transport.

Despite the challenging circumstances, 40 countries presented their VNRs at the 2021 HLPF,9 out of which 8 countries presented for the first time. All 2021 VNRs include references to sustainable transport policies and measures to realise the SDGs for the first time since the inaugural HLPF in 2016, demonstrating that countries see transport action as a vital component for the implementation of the 2030 Agenda.

Full Report (released in October 2021) I  Infographic on preliminary analysis (released in July 2021)