Work together to move towards the right path of interconnection, mutual benefit and win-win results
Side note to the third plenary session of the Second United Nations Global Conference on Sustainable Transport
In the face of new challenges and new problems, all countries in the world share the same destiny, and they need to share responsibilities, share benefits, and overcome difficulties together.
During the Second United Nations Global Conference on Sustainable Transport, government leaders, relevant industry experts and representatives of social organizations gathered online and offline to pay close attention to the current situation, achievements, opportunities and challenges faced by sustainable transport development, and shared governance experience in combination with their respective national conditions.
Three plenary meetings in three days, warm discussion and sincere sharing of fruitful harvest. On the afternoon of October 16, the third plenary session of the Second United Nations Global Conference on Sustainable Transport was held, with Minister of Transport Li Xiaopeng and United Nations Deputy Secretary-General Liu Zhenmin as co-chairs of the meeting, and representatives of 16 countries made suggestions and suggestions on "sustainable transportation and sustainable development".
"At present, the demand for transportation continues to grow, and the contradictions with resources, energy and the environment are becoming increasingly prominent." Li Xiaopeng said that transportation needs to adapt to the new situation, achieve sustainable development, provide services for improving the quality of human life, and provide guarantees for global sustainable development. Under the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, it is increasingly important for all countries to strengthen connectivity and promote sustainable development of transport through effective policies and technical means.
The participants believed that only openness, inclusiveness and interconnection can help each other and achieve mutual benefit and win-win results. Under the background of normalization of epidemic prevention and control, transportation has not only built a "fast channel" for personnel exchanges and a "green channel" for cargo transportation, but also become a powerful boost to maintain the safe and smooth operation of the global industrial chain supply chain and promote the recovery of the world economy.
The road network is extended to deepen regional transportation cooperation
At present, insufficient infrastructure, lack of transport links, weak transport capacity and difficulties in transit transport are still constraints on the sustainable development of many less developed countries. For countries in special situations such as landlocked developing countries and small island developing States, therefore, it is essential to strengthen infrastructure development, and the potential for sustainable transport development is enormous.
Located in the southern Pacific Ocean, Samoa is a typical small island state. "The special geographical location and climatic environment make us vulnerable in promoting sustainable transport development." Samoa's Minister of Engineering, Transport and Infrastructure, Oro Feti Wye, pointed out that in the face of the limitations of geographical factors, Samoa attaches importance to the use of capital and technology to strengthen inland transport construction, continuously improve road transport levels, and develop alternative routes to cope with changing sea conditions and meet people's transport needs.
"Despite the efforts made by African countries in the development of transport infrastructure, we still need more investment." Rwanda's Infrastructure Minister Clavel Gatette said that in order to ensure the construction of transport infrastructure, the African Development Bank has allocated investment. At the same time, Rwanda is working hard to improve its transportation network, build a comprehensive transportation system, and deepen regional transportation cooperation.
Today, the pandemic is exacerbating existing challenges in regional transport systems and forcing countries to strengthen supply chain resilience, collaboration and networking. Regional integration and connectivity are gradually becoming the key pillars of win-win development among countries. Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals requires greater regional transport integration and cooperation among neighbouring countries, many of which are already in action.
Azerbaijan's Minister of Digital Development and Transport Rashad Nabiyev pointed out that in October 2017, the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars transnational railway was put into operation, with a freight volume of 6.5 million tons per year, becoming a convenient land route between Asia and Europe. On this basis, Azerbaijan is focusing on the digitization of transit transactions and removing regulatory and procedural barriers to transport and trade.
"We have established relevant cooperation projects with more than 100 countries, and through integrated development, we can better build international corridors and form a network of connections, which is very beneficial to regional and even global sustainable development." Tajikistan's Minister of Transport, Azim Iprasim, said that in the coming year, Tajikistan plans to establish a land transport network of more than 15,000 kilometers and further extend the international transport network.
In his speech, Iqbal Nayim, Counsellor of the Pakistani Embassy in China, said that Pakistan, together with China, has established the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, which has made a strong contribution to the development of the region along the route and the promotion of Pakistan's own economic development.
Multiple measures are taken simultaneously to lay the cornerstone of green development
In recent years, extreme weather has occurred frequently, and delegates agreed to further reduce carbon emissions to combat climate change and achieve carbon neutrality through international cooperation. "We can do more to build an environmentally friendly transport system that better links transport to economic and environmental sustainability." The Czech Deputy Minister of Transport, Jan Zechter, proposed.
As far as African countries are concerned, the rapid expansion of cities has promoted the construction of transportation infrastructure on the one hand, and on the other hand, it has also brought great challenges to energy conservation and emission reduction. "But our country is not developing without planning." Angolan Minister of Transport Ricardo Viegas de Abreu introduced that the Angolan government approved a national transport and road infrastructure master plan in 2020, proposing a 20-year national development vision, which will lay a strong foundation for the green development of transportation by establishing mechanisms, legal and regulatory frameworks to carry out energy transformation in the transport industry.
Technological innovation, the development of multimodal transport and green mobility together constitute an important part of the future of low-carbon transport. "Chile attaches great importance to the cleanliness of energy and the sustainability of its transportation system." Chilean Deputy Minister of Energy Francesco Javier López Diaz introduced that Chile mainly reduces greenhouse gas emissions caused by transportation by vigorously promoting the application of electric vehicles; and improving the coverage of charging piles and issuing new energy subsidies are important means for its development of green transportation.
In terms of promoting new energy vehicles, Gustavo Rinaldi, director of the Environmental Impact Department of the Argentine Ministry of Transport, introduced that Argentina will also phase out vehicles using fossil fuels and promote the development of green energy vehicles throughout the country. At the same time, Argentina's territory is long and narrow, and the railway network is very widely distributed. Therefore, the development of rail transport is also one of its important pillars for achieving sustainable transport.
In order to achieve the goal of carbon neutrality, South Korea will continue to reduce carbon emissions in the transportation sector. At the meeting, Baek Seung-geun, chairman of The South Korea's Land Infrastructure and Transportation Committee, shared a project called "Transportation Business Card", which was launched in 2018 to call on people to use public transportation in the "first kilometer" and "last mile" of travel. Currently, about 260,000 people in South Korea are involved in the project, and each person spends a certain percentage of their travel time on public transportation every week.
Dominica has launched a national network strategy for urban transport. Jele Issa, director of the Office of Urban and Intercity Transport Projects of the Presidential Office, introduced that Dominica plans to build a new 66-kilometer urban rail transit and 200-kilometer suburban rail transit line, while vigorously promoting the development of electric bus systems and building electric bus fast lanes to reduce traffic congestion and greenhouse gas emissions.
"We only have a population of more than 6 million, the country is not big, but our future is also important. We would like to set an example in promoting sustainable transport development. Salvador's Deputy Minister of Transport, Saul Antonio Castral Contreras, said.
Norway, known as the "Land of Ten Thousand Islands", has a narrow coastline and a huge amount of maritime trade. Jiang Jiayi, second secretary of the Norwegian Embassy in China, introduced that Norway has reduced emissions from international marine transport by promoting LNG ships and designing low-emission marine transport programs.
Senegal's Ambassador to China, Mamadou Ndiaye, reiterated the importance of infrastructure development. Priyanka Sohhoni, First Secretary of the Indian Embassy in China, shared her experience and suggestions on smart cities and green transportation. The Secretary-General of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation Organization, Lazer Komonescu, introduced the organization's exploration and practice in sustainable transport development.
Author | Wang Boyu
Editor-in-charge | Zhai Yongwei