[sustran] GTZ-SUTP Newsletter Jan-Mar'09

[SUTP Team]

GTZ - Sustainable Urban Transport Project Newsletter
**January - March 2009**

This is the text version of the newsletter. A PDF of the same can be 
downloaded from http://www.sutp.org/newsletters/Jan-Mar-09.pdf
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In This Edition

1. Joint initiative on transport and climate change
2. New publications
3. News
4. Sustainable transport related events
5. How can Sustainable Urban Transport contribute to the reduction of 
GHG emissions
6. Further reading
 
*For Your Information:
*All the documents mentioned in this newsletter are available for 
download at no charge from the SUTP website (http://www.sutp.org) any 
queries can be sent to sutp at sutp.org.

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1. Joint Initiative on Transport and Climate Change

Transport is recognised as a key contributing factor to GHG emissions. 
However, compared to other issues like deforestation or energy, 
transport plays a minor role under the current regime and in the 
negotiations of the Post-Kyoto process. There is recognition that 
transport is a significant part of the solution and many transport 
related organisations are discussing the links between transport and 
climate change. One of the main barriers to achieving an effective link 
between transport and climate change, is a clear understanding of the 
different negotiation streams and how to develop a clear targeted 
strategy to integrate transport into the current negotiations.

The Conference of Parties (COP) 2009 of the United Nations Framework 
Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) will take place in Copenhagen, 
Denmark, between December 7 and December 18, 2009. GTZ, TRL, Veolia 
Transport and UITP are working to facilitate the process in 2009 to 
improve the link between the transport sector and the climate change 
negotiations.

More information on: http://www.sutp.org/bridging_the_gap/  

Bibliography on transport and climate change: 
http://www.sutp.org/bridging_the_gap/tc_Bibliography.html

Urban Transport and Climate Change Action Plans:  
http://www.sutp.org/bridging_the_gap/downloads/Transport&ClimateChangeActionPlans_SE20032009.pdf
 
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2. New Publications

GTZ Compilation of Urban Transport Policy And Planning Documents

For the convenience of its visitors and members, GTZ has compiled a list 
of urban mobility documents from cities across all the continents. The 
document includes links to various transport white papers, policy 
documents from city and national governments and also from multilateral 
organisations.

Download: 
http://www.sutp.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1386&Itemid=1
 
GTZ International Fuel Prices - Data Preview Report

GTZ released a data preview report of the "GTZ International Fuel 
Prices" publication. This document provides an overview of retail prices 
of gasoline and diesel in more than 170 countries based on our survey in 
mid-November 2008. For more information on the fuel prices initiative 
please visit http://www.gtz.de/fuelprices

Download: 
http://www.sutp.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1369&Itemid=1
 
Module 3c: Bus Regulation and Planning Now In Korean

The GTZ sourcebook module on "Bus Regulation and Planning" authored by 
Mr. Richard Meakin has been translated into Korean. The document was 
translated by the Kongju National University, under the guidance of 
Prof. Jin Young Park.
 
Download: 
http://www.sutp.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1360&Itemid=1

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3. News
January 2009

New York, First U.S. City to Win the Sustainable Urban Transport Award

New York City has won the 2009 Sustainable Transport Award over stiff 
competition from Beijing, Istanbul, Mexico City and Milan, which are 
receiving honourable mentions. The award presentation for the winner and 
four honourable mention cities took place at the Washington Hilton in 
Washington, DC as part of the Transportation Research Board Annual 
Conference, which attracted 10,000 transportation professionals from 
around the world.

Link: http://www.sutp.org/index.php?option=com_frontpage&Itemid=1
 
Ministerial Declaration On Global Environment And Energy In Transport 
Signed

Transport ministers and representatives from 20 countries* including the 
European commission signed the "Ministerial declaration on Global 
Environment and Energy in Transport" on the 16th January 2009, in Tokyo, 
Japan.

Through the declaration the signatories recognise the various issues 
related to transport and identify possible means for minimising the 
negative impacts.

Link: 
http://www.sutp.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1380&Itemid=1
 
Signing Of GEF-LAC Grant Agreement for The Regional Sustainable 
Transport Project And Air Quality Program

The GEF-LAC Grant Agreement between the Clean Air Institute and the 
World Bank for the implementation of the Regional Sustainable Transport 
Project and Air Quality Program has been signed in Washington on January 
15, 2009. GTZ-SUTP, as one of the implementing partners, attended the 
meeting.

GTZ has been providing full assistance in the development of this 
proposal, specifically on the component of capacity building.  

Link: 
http://www.sutp.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1377&Itemid=1

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February 2009

GTZ-SUTP Organised a Training Course on Non-Motorised Transport In Seoul

As a pre-event to the 4th Regional Environmentally Sustainable Transport 
(EST) Forum, GTZ-SUTP organised a training course on "Non-Motorised 
Transport in Urban Areas, in Seoul, S. Korea. The event was organised on 
23rd February 2009 in cooperation with Interface for Cycling Expertise 
(I-Ce, Netherlands), United Nations Centre for Regional Development 
(UNCRD), Korea Transport Institute (KOTI) and Ministry of Land Transport 
and Maritime Affairs (MLTM), Korea. Mr. Jeroen Buis, I-Ce was the lead 
trainer while Mr. Manfred Breithaupt, GTZ's Senior Transport Advisor and 
SUTP Project Director, was a co-trainer.

Link: 
http://www.sutp.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1412&Itemid=40〈=uk
 
4th Regional Environmentally Sustainable Transport (EST) Forum In Seoul, 
Korea

The Ministry of Land Transport and Maritime Affairs of the Government of 
Korea, the United Nations Centre for Regional Development (UNCRD), and 
the Ministry of the Environment of the Government of Japan jointly 
organised the Fourth Regional Environmentally Sustainable Transport 
(EST) Forum from 24 to 26 February 2009 in Seoul, Korea. Mr. Manfred 
Breithaupt, GTZ Senior Transport Advisor and Project Director of SUTP, 
participated in the event as an International Expert.

Link: 
http://www.sutp.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1378&Itemid=40

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4. Sustainable Transport Related Events

Title: XV CLAPTU
Location: Buenos Aires, AG
Date: 31.03.2009
Link: 
http://www.sutp.org/index.php?option=com_eventlist&Itemid=56&func=details&did=314
 
Title: Future Urban Transport
Location: Gotenburg, SE
Date: 19.04.2009
Link: 
http://www.sutp.org/index.php?option=com_eventlist&Itemid=56&func=details&did=252
 
Title: Velo-city 2009
Location: Brussels, BE
Date: 12.05.2009
Link: 
http://www.sutp.org/index.php?option=com_eventlist&Itemid=56&func=details&did=305
 
Title: 58th World Congress on Mobility
Location: Vienna, AT
Date: 07.06.2009
Link: 
http://www.sutp.org/index.php?option=com_eventlist&Itemid=56&func=details&did=208
 
Title: ICLEI World Congress
Location: Edmonton, CA
Date: 14.06.2009
Link: 
http://www.sutp.org/index.php?option=com_eventlist&Itemid=56&func=details&did=269
 
Title: CPN China Week 2009
Location: Beijing/Chengdu, CN
Date: 15.06.2009
Link: 
http://www.sutp.org/index.php?option=com_eventlist&Itemid=56&func=details&did=315
 
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5. How Can Sustainable Urban Transport Contribute To The Reduction Of 
GHG Emissions
* this article is based on the  module by GTZ titled "Transport and 
Climate Change" written by Mr. Holger Dalkmann, TRL and Charlotte Brannigan
 
Climate Change is currently a major challenge for most nations. Human 
activities such as excessive burning of fossil fuels, deforestation and 
waste generation exacerbate this situation. The effects of these actions 
can be seen in various forms around the globe. Melting of ice caps, 
raising sea levels, unpredictable rainfall patterns, heat waves are just 
a few to name. It has been found that future effects will be more 
frequent in developing countries. Most of these countries rapidly 
deplete their natural resources and are increasingly imitating the 
consumptive attitude of the west.

Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from the transport sector also play an 
important role in the climate change issue. Carbon dioxide (CO2), a GHG, 
emissions from the transport sector has risen by the fastest rate in the 
past three decades. From 1990 to 2004, CO2 emissions from the transport 
sector alone rose by 36.5%. In developing countries esp. China, India, 
and other Asian countries the change in lifestyles is driving people to 
increased automobile usage. This has increased the demand for fossil 
fuels and automobile oriented infrastructure.

Tackling the problem  

Transport is intertwined in nature with social and economic conditions 
of a city, and is an area that is very difficult to penetrate and solve 
its emissions problem in isolation. Bypassing old technologies and 
patterns and fostering innovative methods is the fastest way for 
developing countries to turn over a new leaf. Three fundamental 
strategies to reduce GHG's from transport are:

* Avoid (travel by motorised means)
* Shift (to cleaner and environmentally friendly modes) and
* Improve (the efficiency of existing transport systems and technology)

In order to achieve the above-mentioned strategies there are instruments 
available that fall in the following categories and effectively reduce 
the greenhouse gases if properly implemented.

a. Planning Instruments: Proper planning can reduce the need to travel 
and increase accessibility. It can also enable the implementation of new 
infrastructure such as improved public transit, or newer mass transit 
options, non-motorised lanes and encourage walking.
E.g.: Integrated land use planning, high density development.

b. Regulatory Instruments: Proper implementation of these instruments 
would control the existing vehicular population and can avoid the use of 
old vehicles. These instruments also bring a sense of standard among the 
automobile users.
E.g.: Standardising the vehicles, Mandatory air pollution tests

c.Fiscal and Economic Instruments: These fiscal and economic instruments 
can discourage the use of unnecessary vehicle trips and when properly 
implemented will reduce equity problems in transport users. These 
instruments could also provide a financial source, for the city 
government, that could be later used for public transport improvement.
E.g.: Road pricing, congestion charging, parking pricing, fuel pricing.

d. Information Instruments: These set of instruments provide the 
stakeholders with the available options for them in their city to 
travel. This will enable the citizens to increase their awareness and 
hence trigger a shift from their cars.
E.g.: Public awareness campaigns, Travelsmart, public feedback on 
achievements

e. Technological Instruments: These instruments foster the innovative 
achievements in technology related to transport. Shifting to cleaner 
fuels, reducing end-of-pipe emissions and eco-driving fall under this 
category. In unavoidable cases, using these instruments will enable 
environmentally safe travelling by motorised transport to a certain extent.
E.g.: Low friction lubricants, gear shift indicators, Biodiesel, 
Ethanol, hybrid cars

The majority of the instruments cited above can be implemented with 
medium-to-low costs, moreover some of the instruments can show immediate 
fiscal benefits for the city government while some provide intangible 
benefits in the long run such as reduced air pollution and congestion, 
increased liveability.
 
GTZ-SUTP's Role In Mitigating Climate Change

Mitigating transport problems and hence addressing the climate change 
issue from the transport sector has been one of the major goals for 
GTZ-SUTP. As steps to achieve the goals, GTZ-SUTP has developed a series 
of modules collectively called "Sourcebook" which describes current 
transport issues. Recently, there have been new modules focussing 
directly on CDM (titled Module 5d: The CDM in the Transport Sector) and 
Climate Change (titled 5e: Transport and Climate Change). These modules 
are available for free download from the SUTP website http://www.sutp.org .
 
GTZ-SUTP provides technical assistance on various sustainable transport 
topics including BRT planning, Non-motorised transportation, Public 
awareness, Transport Demand Management, and sustainable funding. To get 
more information on our activities please visit http://www.sutp.org or 
http://www.sutp.cn (for users in China) or send an email to 
sutp[at]sutp.org.

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6. Further Reading
* Assessing the benefits of public transport
http://www.uitp.org/mos/focus/FPBenefits-en.pdf
 
* Integrating public transport & urban planning: a virtuous circle
  http://www.uitp.org/mos/focus/FPurbanplanning-en.pdf
 
* Urban Transport Leaders Summit 2008 Proceedings
  http://www.ltaacademy.gov.sg/world_urban1.htm
 
* "50 by 50" - Making Cars 50% More Fuel Efficient by 2050
   http://www.fiafoundation.org/50by50/Documents/50BY50_report.pdf
 
* The Fleet Forum Fleet Safety Guide
   http://www.fleetforum.org/
 
* Urban Bus Specifications India
  http://urbanindia.nic.in/moud/programme/ut/urbanbus_spec.pdf  
 
* UNEP, March 2009: Global Green New Deal – A Policy Brief
  http://www.unep.org/pdf/A_Global_Green_New_Deal_Policy_Brief.pdf
 
Note: Any further queries regarding this document can be addressed to 
sutp[at]sutp.org. All the documents mentioned here are available for 
download from the SUTP website. http://www.sutp.org

(This is the text version of the newsletter. A PDF of the same can be 
downloaded from the http://www.sutp.org/newsletters/Jan-Mar-09.pdf )

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