[sustran] Re: SLoCaT Status Report on Rio+20 Sustainable Transport
Voluntary Commitments
Morten Lange
morten7an at yahoo.com
Tue Jun 25 08:08:28 JST 2013
Dear Cornie,
Thanks for your reply.
I am encouraged by your take on the manifesto, and hope that it will be possible to do something constructive in this vein, working out a document by a sub-group, then used for lobbying within the group.
As for capacity building etc, I am sorry to say that to me it seems capacity building will primarily pull us in the needed direction if we more clearly define where we ( humanity) need to go, regarding sustainable transport (south and north).
--
Regards / Kveðja / Hilsen
Morten Lange, Reykjavík
--------------------------------------------
On Mon, 24/6/13, Cornie Huizenga <cornie.huizenga at slocatpartnership.org> wrote:
Subject: Re: [sustran] SLoCaT Status Report on Rio+20 Sustainable Transport Voluntary Commitments
To: "Morten Lange" <morten7an at yahoo.com>
Cc: "Global 'South' Sustainable Transport" <sustran-discuss at list.jca.apc.org>
Date: Monday, 24 June, 2013, 3:36
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 HuizengaJoint Convener, SLoCaT
Partnership317 Xianxia Road, B
1811200051 Shanghai, China
www.slocat.net at SLOCATcornie+8613901949332
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