[sustran] Re: FW: UNEP Calls For Sustainable Transport

[International Bicycle Fund]

The irony of this statement is that UNEP was an early contributor to sprawl
in Nairobi, its staff is very SOV oriented and it owns a large and
identifiable fleet of gas guzzling SUVs.

Even the substance of the statement is suspect.  As has been consistent with
UNEP since its inception a couple decades ago, it is looking for a
technological solution to the pollution of vehicles, as if that is the only
impact of private vehicles.  The don't have a grip on the ecological
disaster that a increasing number of vehicle, even zero emissions, will
create as land degradation from roads, parking lots and sprawl marches
across the face of the planet.

INTERNATIONAL BICYCLE FUND -- www.ibike.org
Promoting sustainable transport and understanding worldwide.

-----Original Message-----
From: owner-sustran-discuss at jca.ax.apc.org
[mailto:owner-sustran-discuss at jca.ax.apc.org]On Behalf Of Paul Barter
Sent: Wednesday, March 14, 2001 6:27 PM
To: 'aasust_discuss'
Subject: [sustran] FW: UNEP Calls For Sustainable Transport


-----Original Message-----
From: Farheen Mukri [mailto:farheen at riet.org.sg]
Sent: Thursday, 15 March 2001 9:57
To: 'Paul Barter'
Subject: FW: UNEP Calls For Sustainable Transport
Importance: High

... snip ...

> ----------
> From: 	FABIOCCHI::[SMTP:fabiocchi at infinito.it]
> Reply To: 	FABIOCCHI::
> Sent: 	12 March, 2001 9:05 PM
>
> UNEP Head Calls For Sustainable Transport Strategies
> BRUSSELS/NAIROBI, 6 March 2001 - "In response to growing greenhouse gas
> and
> other vehicle emissions, and the expectation that worldwide growth in
> vehicle ownership and kilometers driven will continue to increase, we must
> radically rethink our approach to road transportation," Klaus Toepfer,
> Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP),
> said
> today.
>
> Speaking at "CleanEnergy WorldTour 2001 - the launch of the BMW Hydrogen
> Fleet in Belgium" - Toepfer will say that "sustainable transport
> strategies
> need to be developed and should include three elements: increased fuel
> efficiency of vehicles, alternative fuel vehicles and changed transport
> patterns. In this regard, alternative fuels, such as hydrogen and
> biofuels,
> can be part of the solution.
>
> Mr. Toepfer will say that vehicles running on hydrogen represent a
> technology that can help bring down CO2 emissions from the transport
> sector.
> But, the environmental friendliness of this technology depends on how the
> hydrogen fuel is provided. Hydrogen can be extracted from methane, natural
> gas, methanol, ethanol or even gasoline in the fuel preparation stage.
> "Only
> if the hydrogen is produced from renewable fuels or through electrolysis
> via
> solar-generated electricity can we speak about a truly clean alternative,"
> he said.
>
> According to the UNEP Executive Director, to create a sustainable
> transport
> strategy, policies to overcome existing financial, economic and
> technological barriers must be developed and implemented on the
> international and national level, by both the public and the private
> sector.
>
> "The private sector has invested heavily in research and development
> regarding alternatively fueled vehicles, "said Toepfer. "Now the related
> infrastructure problems need to be tackled, and pricing systems need to be
> developed to bring down the high production and purchase costs in order to
> allow the market uptake once these vehicles are mass produced."
>
> A quarter of the world's energy is used for transport. Vehicular transport
> represents 80% of this energy use and accounts for about 30% of total
> carbon
> dioxide emissions. Local and regional air pollution, congestion in urban
> areas and land use for road-building are key transport-related problems.
> With the growing demand for mobility in developed and developing
> countries,
> these problems will get more and more serious if action is not taken.
>
> In response to these problems UNEP is expanding its transport-related
> activities. Through its Mobility Forum - a voluntary initiative with the
> automotive industry - UNEP is working to strengthen communication and
> cooperation between the automotive industry, consumers and governments,
> and
> thereby promoting the development of necessary sustainable mobility
> strategies and environmentally best practices.
>
> Note to journalists: To arrange an interview with Klaus Toepfer in
> Brussels
> on 6 March please contact Robert Bisset, UNEP press officer on mobile
> +33-6-2272-5842, email: robert.bisset at unep.fr
>
> For further information, please contact: Tore J. Brevik, UNEP
> Spokesman/Director of Communications and Public Information, P.O. Box
> 30552,
> Nairobi; tel.: (254-2) 623292; fax: 623692; email: cpiinfo at unep.org
> UNEP News Release 01/35
>
>
>
>