ASEAN

ASEAN – Efficiency and Climate Change Mitigation for the Land Transport Sector


Background

Transport, sustainability and climate change in the ASEAN region

A certain level of mobility creates benefits for economic and social development; however, the current trends in the transport sector in Asia are unsustainable. The transport sector has the second highest share of total final energy consumption in the ASEAN region. Congestion, road safety and air pollution – responsible for 7 million premature deaths globally – are among the key issues related to transport. Sustainable transport policies must not only focus on passenger cars, but also consider freight vehicles and motorcycles as well.

There are large synergies between local and global sustainability, particularly when local pollutants such as black carbon – the 2nd largest contributor to climate change after CO2 – are considered. However, the good news is that there are multiple options and a vast potential to increase energy efficiency and to reduce emissions in the land transport sector of ASEAN Member States (AMS).

Nevertheless, more needs to be done to fully capture these opportunities. In light of this, ASEAN’s Kuala Lumpur Transport Strategic Plan 2016-2025 includes sustainable transport actions designed to help reduce transport’s environmental footprint.


Project Objective

The overall objective of the project is to:

“Improve the conditions for the implementation of measures to increase energy efficiency and reduce climate relevant emissions from the land transport sector in the ASEAN region at the regional and national level.”

The project thus focuses on:

  • Supporting the development and alignment of an ASEAN transport strategy with national policies in ASEAN Member States.
  • Cooperating with the ASEAN Secretariat and engaging partner countries to implement sustainable transport measures and improve data and MRV systems.
  • Providing capacity building, fostering knowledge-sharing and building up regional expert networks in the ASEAN region.

The project work is based on three topical pillars:

  • Fuel efficiency policies and measures;
  • Two- and three-wheelers, including electrification; and
  • Green freight and logistics

In order to achieve this, the project works together with relevant policymakers in the Philippines, Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, and Indonesia, as well as the ASEAN Secretariat including relevant Working Groups such as the ASEAN Working Group on Climate Change (AWGCC), the Land Transport Working Group (LTWG), and the Transport Facilitation Working Group (TFWG).


Activities on t-NAMAs / Transport and Climate Change

At the ASEAN regional level, the project organises and facilitates regional exchange on transport-NAMAs. In Thailand, the project supported the development of the “People-centred Urban Mobility NAMA, which is now seeking international funding to support its implementation. This project focuses on shift, improve and fuel switch measures that create climate and people-friendly mobility systems. Important objectives are: technology innovation for a transformation of the bus fleet to low-carbon buses and a system change to low-carbon and intermodal mobility by integration of bus and non-motorised transport with rail-based urban transport. The concept note is finalised and will be submitted to the UNFCCC NAMA registry within 2016.

In Vietnam, the project is supporting the Ministries of Transport and Environment in the identification and prioritisation of options for NAMAs in the transport sector.

In Malaysia, the development of a NAMA proposal on energy-efficient two-wheelers was supported, and a workshop on (Regional) Sustainable Transport Indictors is being planned.

In the Philippines and Indonesia, the project works together with other initiatives on MRV and NAMA development.


Further Information

Title: Energy efficiency and climate change mitigation in the land transport sector in the ASEAN region (in short: Transport and Climate Change) 
Commissioned by: German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ)
Countries: Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam
Lead executing agency: ASEAN Land Transport Working Group
Overall term: 2013 to 2015 (Phase I); 2016-2018 (Phase II)

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