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Here's something about a project being done in conjunction with the World Business Council of Sustainable Development, a group made up of BP, Daimler-Chrysler, Ford, GM, etc. from the Sustrans News Flash service... ============================= SNAPSHOTS OF WORLD MOBILITY Today the Sustainable Mobility Project is launching: THE "MOBILITY 2001" REPORT - a snapshot of world's mobility and its sustainability produced by a team of researchers at MIT and Charles River Associates. The report and the press release are available on http://www.wbcsdmobility.org "Mobility 2001" report October 11, 2001 SUSTAINABLE MOBILITY - present patterns of transport must change The state of world transport systems is a very real concern: congestion, poor infrastructure, accident rates, noise and pollution are already at worrying levels and are getting worse in many parts of the world. Early and significant action is needed: mobility as we know it must change. Mobility in the developing World is of particular concern. These are some of the key findings of "Mobility 2001" a comprehensive study of the world's mobility at the end of the twentieth century. It was produced by a team of researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Charles River Associates and commissioned by the World Business Council of Sustainable Development (WBCSD). Part of the input was extensive consultations from stakeholder meetings held in different parts of the world. The report forms the first phase of the work of the WBCSD's Sustainable Mobility Project that aims to develop a global vision of sustainable mobility and possible pathways to get there. The member companies of the project are BP, DaimlerChrysler, Ford, General Motors, Honda, Michelin, Norsk Hydro, Renault, Shell, Toyota and Volkswagen. Assessing "Mobility 2001", one of the three co-chairs of the Sustainable Mobility project, Chairman of Shell's Committee of Managing Directors, Philip Watts, commented: "It is fascinating to read this document. It is research that confirms what I think many people suspected - that if we are to avoid a continuing descent towards unsustainable gridlock and environmental degradation then the way we move ourselves about is going to have to change." "Given that the members of the project are drawn from the energy and motor manufacturing sectors it may seem surprising that we are publishing such a frank analysis, but we are well placed to be part of the solution to these issues. We think that the effective collaboration between the member companies in working on this project demonstrates our commitment to do so. We believe that our own commercial future depends on our ability to adapt and meet these challenges. Now that we have a formal assessment of the complex problems of sustainable transport I am looking forward to the next phase of the project in which the team will devise strategies aimed at making mobility sustainable over the coming decades. The report also highlights important signs of improvement which can be built on." The other co-chairs are Honorary Chairman Member of the Board, Toyota, Dr. Shoichiro Toyoda, and Executive Vice President of General Motors, Thomas Gottschalk. An over-arching challenge is the current inability of political institutions effectively to tackle mobility issues. Can governments and the private sector build and manage the transportation infrastructure required to meet surging worldwide demand for mobility? And can policy makers and citizens effectively debate and resolve the trade-offs between demand for mobility and demand for environmental protection, energy conservation and safety? Further findings of the report include the fact that more than 96 % of the world's transportation depends on petroleum. Transport-related emissions that contribute to global warming are increasing in almost all developed countries and carbon emissions from transport in the developing world are projected to equal those in the developed world by about 2015. Air transport is responsible for 8 - 12% of transport related carbon emissions, but the potential impact on global warming is twice as great because the carbon is emitted at high altitude. In short, the research team has identified seven "grand challenges" to sustainable mobility: * Ensuring
transport systems serve essential human needs The project will now move to its next phase and aims to complete its work by 2003. By Kristian Pladsen Contact: pladsen@wbcsd.org ==================== |
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