Global Action Needed to Make Transport Sustainable

BRUSSELS, Belgium, July 5 --

- Seven goals to meet sustainable mobility challenge

Global cooperation to limit the adverse social and environmental impact of motor vehicles, complemented by further technology advances, is needed to fulfil transport's vital role in the development of modern society, states Mobility 2030: Meeting the Challenges to Sustainability, a report released by the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) today.

The report was developed by 12 [1] global automotive and energy companies who have worked together over the past four years, under the sponsorship of the WBCSD to assess the sustainability of their products and to envision the future of mobility, with special focus on road transport.

The report defines sustainable mobility as "the ability to meet the needs of society to move freely, gain access, communicate, trade and establish relationships without sacrificing other essential human or ecological values today or in the future."

According to the report, if current mobility trends were to continue, social, economic and environmental costs worldwide would be unacceptably high. However, those costs can be avoided if society as a whole focuses on the achievement of seven goals set out in the report. (Please refer to notes to editors)

The report says that mobility can be made sustainable. However, this is beyond the capabilities of any one company, one industry or one country to resolve, and will require cooperation and effort from every level of society. The report identifies no "magic bullet" solution. In addition, it says some mobility challenges will take up to half a century to resolve, but action should be started now.

The project was undertaken in early 2000 to develop a clearer understanding of how both developed and developing societies can most effectively address the adverse effects of increasing levels of transport activity.

Project Co-chair, Jeroen van der Veer, Chairman of the Committee of Managing Directors, Royal Dutch/Shell Group of Companies said, "This project represents a major milestone in our industries facing up to the scale of the challenge to make transport sustainable in the 21st century."

The report's seven goals include: ensuring conventional emissions from transport are not a significant health concern anywhere; limiting greenhouse gas emissions from transport to sustainable levels; significantly reducing traffic-related deaths and serious injuries worldwide; reducing transport-related noise; mitigating traffic congestion; narrowing the divide in mobility opportunities that exists between and within different societies and regions of the world; and preserving and improving existing mobility opportunities.

Dr. Shoichiro Toyoda, Honorary Chairman of Toyota, and also a project co-chair, emphasizes the report's finding that, "the key to sustainable mobility on a global basis will be achieving it in the developing world. Fundamental to achieving this is the need to narrow the mobility opportunity divides that exist within countries as well as between the world's poorest countries and the developed world."

Senior executives of the member companies met on a periodic basis to review the project's progress. In addition, an Assurance Group, selected by the WBCSD and chaired by the Rt. Hon. Simon Upton, former environmental minister of New Zealand, commented regularly on the quality and integrity of the project's work.

The project research included an extensive stakeholder dialogue process, beginning in November 2000, with dialogues convened in Tokyo, Brussels, Washington, D.C., Sao Paulo, Prague, Beijing, Cape Town and Manila. Mobility workshops were held in several locations, including , Shanghai, Paris, Mexico City and Nagoya.

According to GM's Executive Vice President Tom Gottschalk, a project co-chair, the dialogues and workshops were designed to tap professional opinion around the world and to develop a clearer understanding and appreciation of the mobility challenges faced by different countries and regions.

Mr. Gottschalk also stated that Mobility 2030 is intended to be a catalyst. "The challenges to sustaining mobility are significant," he said, "but they can be met over time, provided society supports constructive approaches and solutions and encourages real understanding and cooperation among stakeholders." He added, "This report contributes positively toward that goal."

Notes to Editors:

Goal one: Ensure emissions of conventional pollutants from transport do not constitute a significant health concern anywhere in the world:

Technology could drive conventional emissions down in developing countries. In the developed world, on the other hand, the focus will shift from setting standards towards making sure prescribed emission levels are met. "High emitter" vehicles are likely to attract the focus of attention.

Goal two: Limit greenhouse gas emissions from transport to sustainable levels:

The SMP members argue that society's long-term goal should be to eliminate transport as a major source of GHG emissions but warn that this cannot be achieved until much later than 2030. In addition, the members believe that the portfolio of technology options they are currently pursuing for vehicle fuels and powertrains will be a significant factor in achieving stabilization of CO2 emissions. Stabilizing CO2 emissions from transport should form part of a larger strategy of policy measures aimed at reducing GHG emissions from all major sources.

Goal three: Reduce significantly the number of transport related deaths and serious injuries worldwide:

Programs to reduce deaths and serious injuries from road vehicle crashes should focus on at least four factors: driver behaviour, improvements in infrastructure, better technologies for crash avoidance, and injury mitigation.

Goal Four: Reduce transport-related noise:

Overall, traffic noise is not likely to decrease. However, local authorities can address the increase in traffic noise through a combination of road surfaces and barriers that dampen noise, and by restricting the modification of vehicles by owners and others. Manufacturers are also continuing to improve the noise performance of transport vehicles.

Goal Five: Mitigate traffic congestion:

Congestion cannot be eliminated entirely, but its effects can be lessened substantially. Actions aimed at relieving congestion would need to include increasing infrastructure capacity, eliminating infrastructure choke-points and making more efficient use of existing mobility systems and infrastructure. Information Technology Systems should play a key role in enabling this.

Goal Six: Narrow mobility opportunity divides that inhibit inhabitants of poorest countries and economically and socially disadvantaged groups within most countries from achieving better lives.

This divide inhibits growth and works against the efforts of the very poorest countries and peoples to escape poverty. Sustainable mobility requires that the gap be narrowed.

Goal Seven: Preserve and enhance mobility opportunities for the general populations in developed and developing countries:

Improved mobility opportunities for all societies - developed and developing - is an important pre-requisite for future economic growth as well as forming the basis of a more sustainable global mobility system based on wider access and greater affordability.

The SMP encourages the development of inexpensive motorized vehicles that are appropriate to the harsh road environments typically found in some developing countries. In urban areas, pricing strategies will be needed to encourage the effective use of existing conventional public transport systems.

www.wbcsd.org

Reference:

[1] The companies involved in the project include BP, DaimlerChrysler, Ford, General Motors, Honda, Hydro, Michelin, Nissan, Renault, Shell, Toyota and Volkswagen. GM, Shell and Toyota have served as co-chairs of the project, in which over 200 personnel from the various companies have participated.

For Further Information Please Contact: London - Dirk van Eeden, Fleishman-Hillard, +44-(0)20-7395-7080, Mobile +44-(0)781-004-0527; Tania Menegatti, Fleishman-Hillard, +44-(0)20-7395-7038, Mobile: +44-(0)7958-798-776; Mary Whenman, Fleishman-Hillard, +44-(0)20-7395-7036, Mobile +44-(0)-7989-476-060. Brussels - Sylvain Lhote, GPC International, +32-2-285-46-14; Juliet Albiac, GPC International, +32-2-282-09-85. Geneva - Claudia Schweitzer, WBCSD, +41-(22)-839-31-50