[sustran] Re: [New Mobility/WorldTransport Forum] WBCSD Mobility 2030 report - general commentary

[Lee Schipper]

The Dutch EU Presidency is sponsoring a by-invitaiton meeting on this
issue 18/19 October in Amsterdam. The focus may be mostly on CO2 in EU,
but the themes and concerns echoed below will certainly emerge. I think
there are other discussions and presentaitons. I finally had time to
download the report and I'll read it..I also had an informal role in
setting up (in part when I was at the IEA, partly when I was at Shell
Int'l)

>>> metz at integerconsult.org 7/18/2004 4:02:03 PM >>>
-----Original Message-----
From: Paul Metz [mailto:metz at integerconsult.org] 
Sent: Sunday, July 18, 2004 9:21 PM
To: Eric.Britton at ecoplan.org 

Dear Eric, 

Thank you for this initiative. If July 30 is indeed the end, I can
only
now make some remarks and wish they serve you in these 2 weeks. 

1. In the early stage of this WBCSD-project I met with the organisers
and told them that their focus cannot credibly claim to cover
"mobility". The report should be named more correctly "some first
steps
towards sustainable AUTOmobility". If not, I urged them to include
public transport and the potentials for reduction of physical mobility
by ICT, telework, teleconsults, telemeetings, ... Some other members
of
the same associations should be invited, not only the cars and fuels
interests. And how can e.g. city design be included, if 'urban sprawl'
is not accepted as a fact of nature ? 

2. The (inofficial) strategy of the WBCSD is to 'defend the licenses
to
operate' of its members as as long and cheaply as possible. It does so
by presenting success stories, which support its lobby for voluntary
and
subsidised actions and against legislation. It mainly - if not only -
represents transnational companies and usually agrees with the general
business lobby ICC. In 1996 I co-founded and since then represent the
pro-active European Business Council for Sustainable Energy. See
<http://www.e5.org> www.e5.org for its agenda, which includes active
support for Kyoto, carbon taxes and trading, elimination of perverse
subsidies, etc. also on behalf of small and midsized companies. Also
on
my own website you find more. 

3. This report should be confronted with the Millennium Development
Goals - should there be "access to mobility" in it ? - and with the
Climate Convention. It is unlikely that the scenario until 2030
projected in this study is compatible with these global
superpriorities.
It may be a good start, but does not show the appropriate sense of
urgency. And how can mobility in developing countries 'leapfrog' and
avoid repetition of the fossil, land-intensive route we try to end
here? 

Finally, I am convinced of the good intentions of the experts involved
in the WBCSD project group. My questions here aim at their bosses, the
strategy of the companies and at the governmental decision makers they
try to influence. 

Good luck and please explain why we have only 2 weeks. In August more
experts may have time to contribute. 


Paul Metz 
_____________________________________________ 

                INTEGeR... consult 
  
  Dr Paul E. Metz  Managing Consultant                         
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