Transport and Voluntary National Reviews
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 transport references in the VNRs submitted each year. 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.
The assessments found that countries have been reporting on transport as a vital sector to implement the SDGs, showcasing on-the-ground implementation and best practices. Through the VNRs, countries have contributed to offering leverage and 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: Action to Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals
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, 43 countries have committed to submit their VNRs and present them at the HLPF 2021. Many VNRs are expressing concerns that the pandemic has impacted on and will continue to hinder the implementation of the SDGs and disrupt development efforts in the short-term. Building upon previous analysis work since 2016, SLOCAT has elaborated a preliminary analysis of the transport dimension of 2021 VNRs (as of 5th July 2021). This year’s edition of the SLOCAT annual report on VNR analysis will be released in September 2021.
Infographic on the preliminary SLOCAT analysis of the 2021 VNRs as of 5th July 2021
