The treaty is structured around a fundamental right and a fundamental duty. The first article proposes the first ever binding formulation, at a global level, of the right of “every person […] to live in an ecologically sound environment”.

The Pact is a compass defining a direction by means of converging binding principles. Such principles should be used first and foremost as legal parameters to design policies, both domestic and international, that prevent further environmental harm.

Aviation is one of the world’s most carbon-intensive sectors and one of the hardest to decarbonize. Now, however, a new framework has been developed by a wide range of industry partners to cut emissions by stimulating the use of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) via a system of certificates.

ESCAP addresses issue of sustainable urban transport, as outlined in the Regional Action Programme for Sustainable Transport Connectivity in Asia and the Pacific, phase I (2017-2021). A regional meeting entitled “Asia-Pacific Sustainable Urban Transport Systems for the 2030 Agenda” was organized on 9 and 10 June 2021 in a virtual format. The high-level meeting provided a platform for the exchange of regional and global best practices which address sustainable urban transport systems in the context of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs 3, 11 and 13).

In May 2021, ICLEI’s Sustainable Mobility team organized a session on “Transitioning towards e-buses: Barriers and opportunities”.

Reflecting learnings in different contexts, the consensus is clear: e-buses still present technological, financial, and institutional barriers and the transition to a full electric bus fleet requires an integrated introduction of a new ecosystem built around policy, infrastructure and financing. The question remains: how could cities plan the transition and pilot new buses to help transform mobility in support of sustainable development goals?

The global coronavirus pandemic brought a wave of public and private initiatives to help societies adapt and recover, from economic stabilization and safety measures to new business models and shifts in consumption. Many of these initiatives are not green, despite the fact that society needs major changes to avoid the most dangerous effects of climate change and ensure health and equity for all.

Transport is a key sector in need of big changes, comprising 14% of global greenhouse gas emissions and 24% of carbon emissions. Meanwhile, over a million traffic fatalities occur every year, millions are exposed to deadly air pollution on roads and the majority of residents in many cities — often the poorest — cannot reach a job within an hour of travel time.

In a new paper with the Transport Decarbonisation Alliance, WRI evaluated countries’, cities’ and companies’ actions during the pandemic that impact the transport sector. They found that of the $298 billion in global recovery funds catalogued by the Energy Policy Tracker in the transport sector between March 2020 and February 2021, only 44% positively affect the climate and sustainability.

As recently as 2018, the UK produced roughly half of all electric cars built in Europe. However, lack of investment by UK manufacturers means that by the end of the decade that figure will have fallen to just 4%.

How important is free public transport in cities? Access to free transportation allows residents the opportunity to better access jobs and social activities. Sustainable Mobility introduces readers how free public transport can serve as the means of improving urban life.

The growth of Kenya's ICT sector at an annual average of 10.8% since 2016 reflects how it has been a significant driver of economic development and job creation. Digital technology has also been able to revolutionalise Kenya's transportation sector, making it easier and more secure to access essential transport services.

Freight transport and emissions are increasing rapidly and, until now, cities were not equipped to handle the associated challenges. Only about 21 percent of the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) highlighting transport refers to freight transport. Nonetheless, general understanding and awareness on sustainable freight have grown exponentially in recent years.