[Video Message]
Excellencies,
Distinguished Delegates,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
I thank the Government of the Philippines, the Asian Development Bank, the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank and partners for convening this 16th Regional Environmentally Sustainable Transport Forum.
My gratitude also goes to the Government of Japan for supporting the Asian EST initiative led by the UN Nations Centre for Regional Development.
Sustainable transport, SDG implementation, and climate action are interconnected.
We must work within these synergies to limit global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees and address the climate crisis.
Sustainable transport is a critical enabler of SDGs, supporting economic growth and impacting health, jobs, industrialization, infrastructure, sustainable cities, and climate action.
To integrate sustainable transport into our sustainable development strategies, we need bold, coordinated actions in four key areas:
1. Leverage technology for a greener transport sector, focussing on clean energy vehicles, electric engines and hydrogen fuel cells. Support research and development in renewable energy courses, smart grid integration, and advanced battery storage is essential.
2. Implement sustainable transport frameworks through effective policies like fuel efficiency standards, emissions caps, and incentives for low-carbon vehicles.
3. Ensure inclusive and safe transport policies to benefit marginalized communities, through affordable public transport, safety measures and gender-responsive planning.
4. Collaborate across sectors, borders, and disciplines, to share knowledge, technology, and resources.
Distinguished Delegates,
Asia is highly vulnerable to climate risks, with facing significant threats from flooding, storms, and extreme weather.
This necessitates resilient and sustainable transport infrastructure investments, to minimize economic losses and maintain continuity in service delivery.
We must also critically analyse how climate change impact our sustainable development efforts, particularly on forward-looking transport infrastructure investments.
Innovative financing models, such as value capture financing, crowdfunding, community bonds, and congestion pricing can play a crucial role in filling the huge financing gaps.
The UN General Assembly has proclaimed the United Nations Decade of Sustainable Transport to begin in 2026.
My Department, the Department of Economic and Social Affairs is mandated to develop an Implementation Plan for the UN Decade, in collaboration with the UN Regional Commissions and in consultation with the Member States, the UN system and all other relevant stakeholders.
The outcomes of this 16th Regional EST Forum can inform the Implementation Plan, to be launched in late 2025.
I look forward to this Forum¡¯s important outcomes, and wish you productive deliberations in Manila.
Thank you.