The share of transport in world CO2 emissions is significant (19% of global C02 emissions) and is increasing. In order to reduce transport related greenhouse gas emissions, cities must meet the challenge of a sustainable mobility, specifically by promoting transit systems.
But to date, this issue plays a minor role under the current international negotiations on climate change.
Veolia Transport Sustainable Development department intends to exert direct influence on these negotiations. Its objective is to make certain that carbon finance instruments are used to promote sustainable urban transportation projects.
This is the reason why Veolia Transport launched an initiative called "Bridging the Gap: pathways for transport in the post Kyoto process" with GTZ, the German Technical Cooperation Agency, TRL (Transport Research Laboratory) and UITP (International Association of Public Transport).
A series of three workshops will be held in 2009 (on March 27 in Paris, June 6 in Bonn at GTZ and September 17 in Brussels at UITP). Their purpose is to help ensure that transportation is really included in climate change negotiations, specifically during the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) conference in December 2009 in Copenhagen.
The first workshop took place on Friday, March 27th at Veolia Environnement's headquarters and was attended by more than 30 transportation and climate policy experts. The workshop successfully formulated initial recommendations for the attention of negotiators.