[sustran] Re: SLoCaT Status Report on Rio+20 Sustainable Transport Voluntary Commitments

[Cornie Huizenga]

Dear Morten,

Thanks for responding. With respect to your comments.

The report we presented is part of our efforts to ensure that sustainable
transport is properly integrated in the goal framework on sustainable
development, which is currently being negotiated for adoption in 2015.  The
target group in that respect are the governments. In the discussions that
we have had in the last months have been quite a learning process for us.
The initial emphasis from our side was to focus on the negative
externalities of transport. We have been told time and time again by
especially the representatives from the south that the emphasis in
discussing sustainable transport should be on increasing access to goods,
markets and services.  There are strong sensitivities when it comes to
"restricting" the right to transport in any form or shape.  This leads us
to the recommendation that we should support the development of transport
infrastructure and services in the south but we should do so in a manner
that ensures that it is leads to sustainable, inclusive access.

We believe that the targets mentioned in Chapter 4 of the document are
quite clear cut. The target on improving access speaks, for the urban
areas, specifically about public transport, walking and cycling. For the
rural areas where we currently are referring to access to all weather roads
we are still looking for a more appropriate indicator. (*talking about
access to public transport in rural areas is probably not appropriate*).
For each of these three targets we will be developing in the coming months
more detailed indicators, including a description of what current base
lines are and what can be expected to be achieved at the global level.

I was surprised with your characterisation of the Voluntary Commitments as
"to spend quite a lot of money on staring at the problems and discussing
them and hopefully develop some pilot projects". I feel that the combined
VCs offer a good mix of knowledge management, capacity building, policy
dialog - facilitation and financing.  While most of the VCs are for a ten
year period I am encouraged to see that we already start to see change
happening which is well beyond that of the pilot projects. A fuel economy
standard for light duty vehicles, like the one developed with support of
the Global Fuel Economy Initiative of which FIA Foundation is part is a
good example of that.

The purpose of this document was to give an update on what has happened to
the Voluntary Commitments on Sustainable Transport, one year after Rio and
thereby contribute to greater transparency and accountability for these
VC's.  I expect that as we move on in time that such reporting will become
more detailed and impact oriented.

With respect to the impacts of motorisation, I believe that we have
mentioned the health and economic impacts which are considerable. I agree
that more work needs to be done on detailing these impacts on poor
countries as well as poor and vulnerable groups in society (which are often
the pedestrians). We are about to start work with our members to document
and address the linkage between poverty and sustainable transport.

On the suggestion for a manifesto. Being a membership based network, it is
likely that SLoCaT will end up with positions that  are somehow middle of
the road in the eyes of some. In that respect it might be better to develop
such a manifesto with a smaller number, but like minded, organizations and
then use this to lobby the transport and development comment at large. For
such a manifesto to have an impact in the South where most of the
motorization is happening it will be essential to ensure that it combines
addressing the sustainability of transport with improving access.

In our report, in chapter 1, we tried to explain that it is possible to
have a different approach to improving access than the traditional road
building/ vehicle enabling policies and that such an approach is
economically also much more attractive.

with best regards,
Cornie

PS - with respect to your references to FIA, it is important to
differentiate between FIA Foundation and FIA. The VCs in the report are by
FIA Foundation and not FIA.

On Sun, Jun 23, 2013 at 11:11 AM, Morten Lange <morten7an at yahoo.com> wrote:

> Hello Cornie Huizenga
>
> Thanks for your work and for telling us about it.
>
> Below are my gut reactions. They might reveal that I lack insight into
> complex international affairs, and might seem rude, but are meant to try to
> address an important issue in a clear manner, not to discuss or criticize
> persons or organisations.
>
>
> I had a look at the press release and a couple of the 17 original
> documents.
>
> What I read from it was this : Many big important groups, partially with
> opposing agendas ( FIA springst to mind )  are going to spend quite a lot
> of money on staring at the problems and discussing them and hopefully
> develop some pilot projects.  I might have missed some important points
> that would alter this description, but I frankly lost patience with all the
> "wooly" text.
>
> I miss an identification of where the tough challenges lie. I miss
> examples of  some measures that could lead us down a better path, possibly
> in the form of "best practices" / success stories.    I  miss seeing the
> large win-win options being spelt out clearly.
> I particularly miss mentioning of the big unjustice, including health loss
> and death that todays users of "soft" / active modes are experiencing,
> because of "brute force" motorisation.
>
> I am trying to find the story to convey tro others like you ask us to do.
>  But I am  having problems.  Perhaps it is necessarry to be this formal and
> diplomatic and general, but I suspect more people than me get frustrated by
> looking for the nedle in the haystack - the concrete things being
> envisioned seem to be missing.  The FIA quote comes closest, to being
> soundbyte.  But it says A, and does not go on to say B.  B would to my mind
> be e.g.
>
> * We need to make the buyers of cars acknowledge full-cost procing is not
> occurring for users of private cars, and develop steps to rectify that.
> * It is time to mandate "stickers" on car adverts smilar to those seen on
> tobacco packaging.  And why not also on the dashboard, and under the side
> mirrors
> * "Free" or lowcost parking is a subsidy with many bad side-effects
> * Transport Demand management that rectifies some of the inequities
> between active transportation and private cars should be pushed by big
> international bodies or at least not be obstructed by them. A list of such
> bodies off the top of my head comprises : ILO, WTO, IMF, UNEP, ECE, EU,
> IATA, IEA, WHO. TDM involving both benefits and information and training
>  could be encouraged in the form of tax incentives to workplaces and / or
> employees.  Put your money where you mouth is. ( I believe there is such an
> expression)
> * It is time to have a very critical look on victim-blaming practices seen
> when those utilising active transport modes are improportionallly held
> responsible for injuries sustained in collisions with cars and other
> vehicles.
>
>
> I would furthermore think that a common, short manifesto on problems and
> possible solutions (possibly using some of the above),  should be drafted
> very soon.  If e.g. the FIA would refrain from underwriting some parts, so
> be it. Work out a near-consensus, or 75% consensus, and make the possible
> difference of opinion come out in daylight, but decide to continue working
> together, and discuss the differences in opinion now and then.
>
>
> Again I apologise for the bluntness, and that I should speak out in spite
> of my lack of familiarity with the diplomatic and high level deliberations.
>
>
> Best Regards,
> Morten Lange
>
> --
> Morten Lange, Reykjavík
>
> --------------------------------------------
> On Thu, 20/6/13, Cornie Huizenga <cornie.huizenga at slocatpartnership.org>
> wrote:
>
>  Subject: [sustran] SLoCaT Status Report on Rio+20 Sustainable Transport
> Voluntary Commitments
>  To: "Global 'South' Sustainable Transport" <
> sustran-discuss at list.jca.apc.org>
>  Date: Thursday, 20 June, 2013, 11:44
>
>  Dear All,
>
>  We are happy to announce the first update report on the
>  Rio+20 Voluntary
>  Commitments on Sustainable Transport.
>
>
>  We have created a special section for the report on the
>  SLoCaT website, *
>  www.slocat.net/Rio20-VC. *If you tweet about the report
>  please use
>   #Rio20transport in our tweets.
>
>
>  On the website we have also a press release in English,
>  Chinese, German,
>  Spanish and Portugese (
>  http://slocat.net/press-release-rio20-sustainable-transport-status-report
> )
>
>
>  We would greatly appreciate your help in the wide
>  distribution of the
>  report and the press release.
>
>
>  Thanks a lot.
>
>
>  Cornie
>
>  --
>  Cornie Huizenga
>  Joint Convener, SLoCaT Partnership
>  317 Xianxia Road, B 1811
>  200051 Shanghai, China
>
>  www.slocat.net
>  @SLOCATcornie
>  +8613901949332
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>
>


-- 
Cornie Huizenga
Joint Convener, SLoCaT Partnership
317 Xianxia Road, B 1811
200051 Shanghai, China

www.slocat.net
@SLOCATcornie
+8613901949332