Last night (16th), the second United Nations Global Conference on Sustainable Transport closed in Beijing.
A total of 14 major events were organized through a combination of online and offline. The participants conducted a series of forward-looking and constructive exchanges and dialogues from various fields such as people's livelihood, green development, connectivity, response to the epidemic and economic recovery.
The conference lasted for three days and was attended by representatives of 171 countries online and offline. Among them, 150 transport ministers and representatives of various countries participated in the meeting online; nearly 800 envoys from 133 countries and representatives of international organizations in China participated in the meeting offline. Combined with national experience, representatives of various countries made suggestions and suggestions on topics such as green development and scientific and technological innovation.
The participants said that all countries in the world should jointly accelerate the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, take more pragmatic measures, and work together to build safe, convenient, efficient, green, economical and inclusive sustainable transportation.
Li Xiaopeng, Director of the Office of the Organizing Committee of the Second United Nations Global Conference on Sustainable Transport: The outcome document of the Conference, the Beijing Declaration, has been released on the official website of the Conference. The Beijing Declaration outlines a future vision for sustainable global transport development, proposes initiatives to strengthen transport cooperation, and provides a framework for the implementation of the transport-related goals of the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. We sincerely hope that these visions and initiatives will be valued and responded to by all participants, so that they can be gradually transformed into pragmatic cooperation initiatives, and inject confidence and impetus into the sustainable development of transportation.
UN Under-Secretary-General Liu Zhenmin: We must decarbonise all means of transport in order to achieve net zero emissions globally by 2050. The United Nations has established an online repository. It will preserve the efforts and commitments of Member States and all others who support sustainable transport. Through this online database, we hope to showcase the efforts that people have put in while inspiring more people to join and take action.
UN Under-Secretary-General: The General Assembly achieved two important outcomes
At the closing press conference of the second Un Global Conference on Sustainable Transport last night, UN Deputy Secretary-General Liu Zhenmin said that the Conference achieved two important results and will formulate a roadmap for countries to continue to promote sustainable transport development.
Liu Zhenmin introduced that the first outcome was the release of the Beijing Declaration on the official website of the General Assembly, which depicted the future vision of global sustainable transport development and called for an integrated, interdisciplinary and cross-sectoral approach to strengthen international cooperation, which will be submitted to the United Nations General Assembly and issued as a document; This platform will raise awareness and facilitate action in developing sustainable transport.
LIU Zhenmin, UN Deputy Secretary-General: I believe that the holding of the second UN Global Conference on Sustainable Transport has laid the cornerstone for sustainable development, and it will encourage more countries to form sustainable transport programs and policies to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.
Liu Zhenmin said that at this conference, China committed to establishing the China International Sustainable Transport Innovation and Knowledge Center, which contributed to the sustainable development of global transport.
Take substantive action to increase the research and development of energy-saving and emission-reduction technologies
At the Second United Nations Global Conference on Sustainable Transport, people from international organizations, governments, enterprises and other sectors discussed the research and development of energy-saving and emission-reduction technologies and the measures taken to neutralize carbon emissions.
At the Entrepreneur Forum, international organizations and Chinese and foreign enterprises jointly discussed the social responsibilities of enterprises in implementing the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and promoting sustainable transport.
Sanda Ogabo, CEO and Executive Director of the United Nations Global Compact: More and more companies are investing in more research and development technologies in the hope of slowing the pace of global warming.
Hu Jianhua, general manager of China Merchants Group Co., Ltd.: Continue to increase energy conservation and emission reduction efforts, promote the systematic construction of green ports, green shipping and green logistics, and will release China Merchants' "carbon peak" and "carbon neutrality" timetables and roadmaps in due course. Increase investment in innovation and research and development, and promote clean energy utilization, intelligent operation and control, and digitalization of industrial ecology。
Data show that nearly 1/4 of the world's greenhouse gas emissions come from transportation, sustainable transportation and green low-carbon development, which is of great significance for climate change in the global industry.
At the Forum on Sustainable Transport and Green Development, the participants called on all parties to formulate fair and pragmatic systems and rules under the framework of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the International Civil Aviation Organization and the International Maritime Organization, and to make voluntary and voluntary emission reduction commitments and take substantive actions in accordance with national conditions. China has set up a "carbon peak" and "carbon neutrality" work leading group, and is currently working hard to formulate and improve a series of policy systems for "carbon peaking" and "carbon neutrality".
Sun Zhen, deputy director of the Department of Climate Change of the Ministry of Ecology and Environment of China: Implement binding indicators for carbon intensity reduction and strengthen the goal-oriented role. Vigorously promote the synergy of pollution reduction and carbon reduction, study and promote legislation to deal with climate change, and establish and improve the policy standard system. Strengthen capacity building to address climate change. Adhere to multilateralism and solidly promote South-South cooperation on climate change.
The development of sustainable transport systems needs to be supported by supporting policy innovation
The theme meeting of the second United Nations Global Conference on Sustainable Transport "Sustainable Transport and Policy" was held last night at the China National Convention Center in Beijing.
Delegates believed that the development of sustainable transport systems needs to be achieved with the support of relevant supporting policy innovations. These supporting policies include laws and regulations, development planning, technological innovation, and the participation of various stakeholders in the decision-making process.
During the discussion, Liu Zhenmin, under-secretary-general of the United Nations, said that the corresponding policies for sustainable transport need to be coherent. The policies we implement today will have an impact on the future. Therefore, changes must be made in terms of population growth, age structure of the population, urbanization, globalization, climate change, etc.
UN Under-Secretary-General Liu Zhenmin: Our response to these three questions will determine whether we can truly transform. The first question is, do we really have a convenient and accessible means of transportation for everyone? Second, how do we perform in this matter to alleviate the adverse impact on the environment? Third, we need to act quickly, but we also need to act in a sensible way.
Fu Zhihuan, academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, introduced some of China's practices in traffic management and technological innovation. In order to adapt to the changing situation, China has continuously formulated and revised transportation policies to support the development of green transportation.
Fu Zhihuan, academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering: In terms of urban transportation, we focus on the development of public transportation, such as accelerating the construction of rail transit and reducing the use of cars. The second is to vigorously develop green transportation equipment, focus on the construction of electrified railways, and pay attention to the promotion of new energy vehicles.
In order for sustainable transport to receive the broadest support, the active participation of different stakeholder groups should be encouraged in decision-making processes, such as the design and implementation of macro policies and programmes, thereby enhancing the economic, social and political acceptability and sustainability of relevant policies. At present, governments are achieving more sustainable transport development through the development and implementation of relevant laws and regulations, the promotion of sustainable freight and passenger transport strategies, and the development of incentive and incentive policies, which is particularly important in the context of short-term decision-making behavior and non-long-term planning.
At the thematic meeting, delegates said that the development of sustainable transport systems can only be achieved with the support of relevant supporting policy innovations. The impact of covid-19 in the past two years has spawned many new national, multilateral and global policies, including emergency assistance to affected industries and investment in low-carbon transport systems. When considering how to advance the development of sustainable transport in the post-pandemic global environment, it should also consider the possible negative impact on the ecological environment, and the accelerated transition to sustainable transport will also accelerate the phase-out and end-of-life of existing vehicles and infrastructure, which may bring new environmental challenges.
China's transportation is moving towards a new era of high-quality development
This year is the beginning of the "14th Five-Year Plan", and the construction of China's comprehensive three-dimensional transportation network has been accelerated, reaching urban and rural areas and connecting the world. China's transportation is moving towards a new era of high-quality development.
6.082 million kilometers, which is the latest mileage of China's comprehensive three-dimensional transportation network, behind which there is the world's largest high-speed rail network, highway network, inland waterway network and world-class port cluster.
Sun Wenjian, spokesman of the Ministry of Transport: The national comprehensive three-dimensional transportation network with railways as the backbone, highways as the foundation, and the comparative advantages of water transport and civil aviation being brought into full play is increasingly perfect.
Since the Eighteenth National Congress of the Communist Party of China, China has continued to increase the efforts of transportation infrastructure to make up for shortcomings, and fixed asset investment has remained above 2 trillion yuan per year. The "eight vertical and eight horizontal" high-speed rail network has been further encrypted, and the mileage of high-speed rail has increased from less than 10,000 kilometers to 38,000 kilometers; the highway mileage has increased by 65,000 kilometers, with a total mileage of 161,000 kilometers.
This year, China's first "Medium- and Long-term Planning Outline for Comprehensive Three-dimensional Transportation Networks" was introduced, and the construction of a transportation power was accelerated. The "Fuxing" has historically covered 31 provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities; the national highway "one network" has passed, and 4.35 million kilometers of "four good rural roads" have been repaired to the village, opening up the "microcirculation" of rural revitalization.
In Malkang City, Aba Prefecture, Sichuan Province, between the Suoma Grand Canyon that has just been draped in autumn scenery, the traffic on the Tongcun Tongxiang Road is busy, relying on yak breeding and plateau vegetable cultivation, more than 2,000 villagers in Suoma Township have embarked on the road to prosperity.
Li Zhenghua, a villager in Maomuchu Village, Somo Township, Malkang City, Aba Prefecture: This year, our township cement roads and our village roads have been newly paved with asphalt, and the vendors from Chengdu can drive directly to us under the highway and pull cattle to send vegetables out, which is quite convenient.
Today, a comprehensive three-dimensional transportation network connecting urban and rural areas connects the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Region, the Yangtze River Delta, the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, the Yangtze River Economic Belt and the Chengdu-Chongqing Twin Cities Economic Circle. It not only provides a pioneering impetus for the coordinated development of regional economy and society, but also lays a good foundation for high-quality joint construction of the "Belt and Road", supporting the development of China-Europe express trains, and smoothing international logistics.
In the eight years since the "Belt and Road" initiative was proposed, china-Europe express trains have run more than 40,000 trains, and 78 operating routes have been laid out, reaching 174 cities in 23 European countries; the pace of transportation "going out" has accelerated, and the interconnection structure of "six corridors, six roads, multiple countries and multiple ports" has basically taken shape; And China has signed bilateral air transport agreements with 128 countries and regions.
Chang Qide, UN Coordinator in China: The outbreak of the new crown epidemic has seriously disrupted the global supply chain, and China has effectively coordinated the prevention and control of the epidemic and economic development, quickly restored public transportation and international logistics, demonstrated strong resilience, played a positive role in the recovery of the world economy, and contributed to global sustainable development.
Sustainable transport, the grand blueprint has been drawn. By 2035, we will build 700,000 kilometers of transportation network lines, build a 6-axis, 7-corridor, and 8-channel main skeleton, build 100 comprehensive transportation hub cities, realize international and domestic interconnection, and support the "national 123 travel traffic circle" and the "global 123 fast cargo flow circle". China's transportation is moving towards a new era of high-quality development.