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October 16, 2021

Andrew Campbell 

The second United Nations Global Sustainable Transport Conference, taking place from October 14 to 16, would focus on the opportunities, challenges, and solutions for achieving global sustainable transportation. It would build on the first Global Sustainable Transport Conference, held in 2016 in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, and is expected to point the way forward for sustainable transport in the Decade of Action to help achieve the goals of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Paris Climate Agreement.

The three-day UN Sustainable Transport Conference, which was hosted by Beijing, China, was inaugurated via videoconference by President of the People's Republic of China Xi Jinping and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. The Conference addresses key transportation issues that support the UN Sustainable Development Agenda 2030 and the Paris Climate Agreement, as well as several topics concerning the impact of sustainable transportation on economic recovery, green development, regional development, innovation, city sustainability, poverty eradication, and the role of technology in transportation sector sustainability.

The Conference looks at how transportation can help with climate change, economic growth, and long-term development. It takes place just weeks before the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) in Glasgow, Scotland. In his opening remarks, UN Secretary-General António Guterres emphasized what is at stake, stating that the next nine years must see a global shift toward renewable energy, with sustainable transportation playing a critical role in that transformation.

The UN Sustainable Transport Conference in 2021 highlights the commitments and determinations of key stakeholders from governments, the UN system and other international organizations, the private sector, and civil society to advance action for sustainable transport. All modes of transportation are covered, including road, rail, aviation, and waterborne.