[sustran] Re: CDM Projects (Clean Development Mechanism) - public transport

Brian D. Williams Brian.Williams at unhabitat.org
Mon Nov 24 18:11:09 JST 2008


Dear All,

    As I attended the most recent CfM Congress in Stuttgart, I would also 
like to add my .02 cents here and also say I was most pleased to see the 
very broad-based and open participation from a variety of stakeholders in 
urban mobility at the congress.  In addition, there was a very open and 
critical discussion of various urban mobility options with a clear 
consensus, even among car manufacturers,  that an over-reliance on the 
private automobile to meet future transport demand is problematic in the 
extreme.  The notion that private car manufacturers are not going to be 
able to maintain their market share for urban mobility if the only product 
they produce is stuck in gridlock, was made clear.   Discussions of 
diversifying transport products (e.g. public transport vehicles, other 
personal mobility vehicles, including NMTs) was discussed.  In addition, 
the degree to which these issues resonate very differently in the 
developing country context was also a key highlight of the meeting as 
almost half of all delegates were from the developing world.

   I don't know about everybody else, but for me, one of the most 
attractive aspects of working in the area of urban transport is the 
strange bedfellows and unexpected strategic alliances one gets involved 
in.  Although one needs to tread carefully, just because a car 
manufacturer may financially sponsor  a meeting doesn't necessarily mean 
only one angle or perspective is going to be discussed.

Thanks,

Brian 

 
Brian Williams, Chief
Energy and Transport Section
Water, Sanitation and Infrastructure Branch
Human Settlements Financing Division
United Nations Human Settlements Program (UN-HABITAT)
P.O. Box 30030, Nairobi, Kenya
TEL: (25420) 762-3916
FAX: (25420) 762-3588
EMAIL: brian.williams at unhabitat.org
web site: http:// www.un-habitat.org




"Dr. Rainer Rothfuss" <rothfuss at cities-for-mobility.net> 
Sent by: 
sustran-discuss-bounces+brian.williams=unhabitat.org at list.jca.apc.org
24/11/2008 03:02 AM

To
edelman at greenidea.eu
cc
Giselle Xavier <ciclobrasil at udesc.br>, Lake Sagaris <sagaris at terra.cl>, 
"Paul A. Barter" <paulbarter at nus.edu.sg>, NewMobilityCafe at yahoogroups.com, 
lsagaris at yahoo.com, Sustran Resource Centre <sustran-discuss at jca.apc.org>, 
sustran-discuss at list.jca.apc.org, cities-for-mobility at yahoogroups.com
Subject
[sustran] Re: CDM Projects (Clean Development Mechanism) -      public 
transport








   Dear Todd Edelmann,

   sorry for expressing myself so directly but your evaluation of 
"Cities for Mobility" has absolutely nothing to do with the reality:

   You say: "I am convinced that the whole project - no matter how 
inclusive-seeming - is in large part a greenwashing exercise for the 
Stuttgart-based automobile industry"

   CfM is a municipal initiative and we, as masterminds behind the 
network, feel 100% committed to greening urban mobility and not 
feeding any kind of industry. But, to be honest, without the money we 
receive from some private firms, including our local car producers, we 
could not work without membership fees and invite members from Africa, 
Asia and Latina America for free (other city networks charge 8.000 
Euros per year, no matter from where you are!).

   The companies that help us to finance the work of the Municipality 
of Stuttgart within the framework of CfM have agreed to give us their 
support without asking anything in return. There is not even a council 
or something where they could bring in their views or make their 
voices heard in order to influence the work of the network. To be 
honest, our somewhat depressing perception was that they don't even 
care about us as we, with our almost 500 partners from over 60 
countries, are not at all important for companies that have an annual 
turnover bigger than several small national economies together!!

   But, yes you are rigth, we also work on the topic of motorized 
individual mobility. But we don't tell anyone what Stuttgart's car 
makers would like to hear but just what we need in order to achieve 
real benefits for the environmental situation in cities. To cover 100% 
of all mobility demands by non-motorized mobility would be ideal - you 
may be right! But the fact is that motorized individual mobility will 
allways be there. So the crucial question is how we can green it (e.g. 
electric mobility with light vehicles and renewable energies - that's 
what we are dealing with in ongoing projects). We just dare facing 
this up to now inevitable motorized 90% share of the mobility reality 
that many others seem to ignore thinking that this way it will 
disappear... How about you?

   In general, I'm convinced it's better to go there and ask people 
what they think and want and really do before you judge them in 
public...

   But yes, I agree, it's good to have different platforms for working 
on the same issues. Each one will bring in new and valuable aspects. 
The big question for me just is whether we shall stick to a typical 
German way of thinking, I would say, that there is only one right 
answer and only one solution to such a complex problem and reality as 
is mobility, asking the rest of the world to obey, stop thinking and 
to follow it... So I'd be glad if you acknowledged also the value of 
the work we have been doing in the past years within CfM for the same 
cause as yours. Thanks!

   Regards,

   Rainer Rothfuss

-----------------------
Join the Cities for Mobility online forum:
http://finance.groups.yahoo.com/group/Cities-for-Mobility
Cities-for-Mobility-subscribe at yahoogroups.com
-----------------------

Dr. Rainer Rothfuss
Coordinator of International Relations
-----------------------
Coordination Office
Cities for Mobility
State Capital Stuttgart
-----------------------
Postal address:
D-70161 Stuttgart
GERMANY
Tel.: +49-8381-891-68 38
Fax: +49-8381-891-68 39
Mob: +49-177-894 08 04
Skype: rainer.rothfuss
rothfuss at cities-for-mobility.net
www.cities-for-mobility.netMessage from "Todd Edelman, Green Idea 
Factory" <edelman at greenidea.eu>:

> Hi Aashish,
>
> This is an important question - which could perhaps include "Lots Less
> Cars" - and I am sure the three different
> administrator/co-administrators will answer it soon.
>
> For me it is clear that Sustran is about developing world/Global South
> issues. Very often the same messages go out on both New Mobility Cafe
> and Lots Less Cars, and while there are guidelines to make it simple
> for me what I usually do is if it something interesting and useful I
> send it to Lots Less and if even more exciting, revolutionary and
> important/critical I also send to New Mobility. And of course also to
> Sustran if applicable.
>
> I know that Eric works very hard at keeping the discussion lean and
> focused and while I sometimes object if a post I make - especially if
> I take a lot of time with it - is rejected, I see the reason for this.
> We can always post anything we want on our own Blogs, or of course
> start our own discussions.
>
> Sustran, New Mobility/Lots Less and Sustran also originate in three
> different institutions/entities, and perhaps some differences between
> them are fundamental. As for me, I do not participate in Cities for
> Mobility. It seems that the discussions held there could be useful but
> I am convinced that the whole project - no matter how inclusive-seeming
> - is in large part a greenwashing exercise for the Stuttgart-based
> automobile industry. Cities for Mobility has as one of its "mobility
> columns" the private urban car, and in (not just) my eyes this is Old
> Mobility and thus presents a fundamental difference from - and
> obviously a challenge to - the philosophy behind/purpose of the other
> lists.
>
> Regards,
> T
>
>
>
>
>
> Aashish Gupta wrote:
>> Dear Eric
>> I have gained much from the discussions at New moility cafe,
>> Cities-for-Mobility and sustrans. I have a suggestion. Cant we 
integrate all
>> the lists, since all of them have a common focus. It would be much 
easier,
>> as well as enlarge the discussion.
>>
>> Aashish Gupta
>> Department of Humanities and Social Sciences
>> Indian Institute of Technology Madras
>>
>> On Sun, Nov 23, 2008 at 4:06 PM, Eric Britton  
>> <eric.britton at ecoplan.org>wrote:
>>
>>
>>> That's a good question Roland. I just tried Knoogling it and came up 
with
>>> some interesting responses. You might wish to give it a try at
>>> http://knoogle.net . (And if you have suggestions for us as to sources 
or
>>> other details to improve  its operation ,please do . . . Eric Britton
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> On Behalf Of Roland Sapsford
>>> Sent: Sunday, 23 November 2008 00:11
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Hi
>>>
>>> Is anyone aware of any work underway through the CDM, or in 
negotiations
>>> around its successors, to make it easier for transport projects to be
>>> included.
>>>
>>> As far as I know, the only public transport project so far granted CDM
>>> credits is the TransMilenio busway in Bogota.  The main barrier is 
that
>>> transport projects usually involve policy and planning changes as well 
as
>>> projects, and the methodological tests for additionality are hard to 
meet.
>>>
>>> Curiously yours
>>> Roland Sapsford
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Roland Sapsford
>>> Sustainability Solutions Consulting
>>>
>>> Climate Change, Cities, Energy, Transport
>>>
>>>
>>> PO Box 11-708, Manners St, Wellington 6142, New Zealand
>>> +64-4-9341106(w); +64-4-3851105(h); +64-21-651105(m)
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Dr. Rainer Rothfuss wrote:
>>>
>>>
>>> A través del instrumento CDM se pueden financiar proyectos para 
reducir
>>> emisiones de CO2 - también en el área del transporte.
>>>
>>>
>>> Más informaciones: http://www.cdm-cooperation.de/7.0.html
>>>
>>> Para saber más del los proyectos ya implementados en los diferentes 
países
>>> de América Latina hay que registrarse como usuario (gratuito).
>>>
>>>
>>> Clean Development Mechanism
>>>
>>>
>>> The Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) is a project-based mechanism, 
laid
>>> down in the Kyoto Protocol within the United Nations Framework 
Convention
>>> on
>>> Climate Change (UNFCCC <http://www.unfccc.int/> ) in 1997. On the one
>>> hand,
>>> it serves as a tool for the achievement of companies? or state?s 
emission
>>> targets under minimum costs. On the other hand, it provides an 
economic
>>> incentive for investments in technologies aiming at climate 
protection.
>>>
>>> Best regards,
>>>
>>> Rainer Rothfuss
>>>
>>>
>>> -----------------------
>>> Join the Cities for Mobility online forum:
>>> http://finance.groups.yahoo.com/group/Cities-for-Mobility
>>> Cities-for-Mobility-subscribe at yahoogroups.com<
http://finance.groups.yahoo.com/group/Cities-for-MobilityCities-for-Mobility-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
>
>>>
>>>
>>>
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>
>
> -- 
> --------------------------------------------
>
> Todd Edelman
> Green Idea Factory
>
> Urbanstr. 45
> D-10967 Berlin
> Germany
>
> Skype: toddedelman
> Mobile: ++49 0162 814 4081
> Home/Office: ++49 030 7554 0001
>
> edelman at greenidea.eu
> www.greenidea.eu
> www.flickr.com/photos/edelman
>
> Green Idea Factory is a member of World Carfree Network
> www.worldcarfree.net
>
> CAR is over. If you want it.
>
> "Fort mit der Autostadt und was Neues hingebaut!" - B. Brecht (with
> slight modification)



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IMPORTANT NOTE to everyone who gets sustran-discuss messages via 
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Please go to http://list.jca.apc.org/manage/listinfo/sustran-discuss to 
join the real sustran-discuss and get full membership rights. The 
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you can). Apologies for the confusing arrangement.

================================================================
SUSTRAN-DISCUSS is a forum devoted to discussion of people-centred, 
equitable and sustainable transport with a focus on developing countries 
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