[sustran] Re: The next WBCSD Mobility study: "Some Cognitive Dissonance direct from Third World Cities"

mobility mobility at igc.org
Thu Nov 22 01:36:04 JST 2001


thanks, John, Eric, others,

for the various comments on the WBCSD report.  So far, very few of the comments
were actually on the report, but were focused on the 'process'.

i take this as an indication that most of you, like me, found the report a
pretty dull and muddled read, and difficult to sink one's teeth into.

I do think we need to comment on how this document and the process of the WBCSD
Mobility 21 dialogs around the world fed into this report, and the purpose of
this report in the broader scheme of things..

I doubt the WBCSD is going to go for a process that ceeds control over how their
donated money will be spent, ie. by reducing their influence on the steering
committee.  Furthermore, given the numerous other forums, (UN CSD 9, Habitat II,
Earth Summit, Global Road Safety Initiative, GITE, Shell's forums, Forums
discussing the World Bank Urban Transport Policy, etc. etc. etc.) where the
influence of these corporations is more checked, do we really want to suggest
big auto and big oil initiate a broader dialog w/ stakeholders on this topic,
when such stakeholder dialogs have already been held through UN-based
institutions, with prescious little effect?

Given none of us were able to even read the document through, let alone take
from it any powerful or compelling message, i think their efforts' greatest risk
is irrelevance.

I think we need to propose something that is appropriate for big auto and big
oil to do to reform themeselves to prepare for a post-auto and post-oil
dominated economy, something that will really make these companies think about
how to use their massive investment capital in a way that brings about this
transition, while saving their bacon.

They probably should have started with a hard headed analysis of the oil and
auto markets in the future, and given us some indication of where these are
really going.  They should have this data inside their corporations, and it
would have been interesting to know how these companies viewed the future.

I'm drafting something to this effect but will look at your further thoughts
after the Thanksgiving holidays.

best
Walter Hook

> Earlier references here: Walter Hook, Kisan Mehta, John Whitelegg, Matthias
> Mueth
>
> Dear Friends,
>
> Very very interesting.  I think that maybe we should put our heads together
> and see if we might offer these kind folks (the WBSC) not just a report on
> this or that, but rather get off and running with another, altogether
> different PROCESS.
>
>



More information about the Sustran-discuss mailing list