The High-level Advisory Group on Sustainable Transport, co-chaired by Martin Lundstedt, CEO of the Volvo Group, and Mayor Carolina Toha of Santiago, Chile, provides a focused set of recommendations on how the transport sector can advance sustainable development with poverty eradication at its core, promote economic growth, and bolster the fight against climate change.
Imagine cities with quiet streets, clean air, easy and equitable access to work and school, and vibrant community life. Imagine families that travel from their rural home to a city centre and then on to visit relatives in another country, using a combination of road, rail, waterborne and air transport—moving from one to the next seamlessly and efficiently, taking advantage of the strengths of each mode. And imagine goods crossing borders efficiently, reaching their destination on time, with minimal environmental impact—so that people get what they need and economies develop without compromising opportunities for future generations. This vision can be realised through a widespread, ambitious and genuine commitment to advancing sustainable transport systems.
Transport is fundamental to development in a large- scale, global sense. At the same time, it has a profound and personal impact on individual lives. In many cases, transport involves choice— whether to move or to stay in place, whether to walk, cycle, take public transport or a private car, whether to ship a product overnight or with more flexible deadlines—but choice is also in many situations severely limited by poverty; social exclusion; and national, regional, or local circumstances. The transport options available in a country reflect its level of development. At the same time, transport is a driver as well as a marker of economic development. It enables individuals and communities to rise out of poverty and overcome social exclusion, connecting goods to markets and linking rural areas and market towns to large cities and the global marketplace.
In 2015, the Member States of the United Nations embraced a global vision for sustainable development with the 2030 Agenda and its 17 Sustainable Development Goals…
The High-level Advisory Group on Sustainable Transport
