I have recently started working as part of UNEP's Division of Transport in Nairobi. The Transport Unit has six focus areas
1) To complete the global elimination of leaded petrol (Activities of the Transport Unit also contribute to UNEP's Chemicals and Waste sub-programme where they contribute to reducing health impacts from lead pollution through the global elimination of leaded petrol.)
UNEP has supported more than 80 countries to eliminate leaded petrol world-wide with a result that only 6 countries today continue to use small amounts of leaded petrol. These are Afghanistan, Iraq, Yemen, North Korea, Algeria, Myanmar
Barriers: Yemen and Iraq lack the financial means to upgrade their refineries
Algeria and Iraq have created stock piles of TEL (the lead additive)
All six countries lack information and capacity to make this change
Some countries have been bribed into buying stockpiles of TEL and have no means to dispose of the same?!?!
2) To develop mainly national and regional activities that will contribute to doubling the efficiency of the global light duty vehicle fleet
Most developed countries have put policies in place that promote fuel economy. For example, taxing inefficient vehicles and providing tax breaks for the efficient vehicles. Introducing vehicle labeling programs. As a result most OECD countries will see the efficiency of their fleets doubling in the coming decade.
However, most developing countries do not have similar measures. To support similar policies the Global Fuel Economy Initiative was put in place in 2008. The target is to double the fuel efficiency of the global light duty fleet from 8 l/100 km in 2005 to 4 l/100 km in 2050.
3) To promote investment in non-motorized transport infrastructure- walking and cycling
UNEP has launched a Share the Road (StR) project that is promoting the systematic inclusion of NMT infrastructure in urban road projects
4) A new clean ports project
Small particulates and black C emissions from ports come from a wide range of sources- directly or indirectly related to port operations- including ocean-going vessels, harbor craft, tug boats, power plants providing energy for port operations etc.
5) A global campaign to reduce small particulate emissions and black carbon emissions through the introduction of cleaner fuels and vehicles
WHO estimates that small PM is responsible for 7 million premature deaths annually. Transport is supposed to contribute 40-80% of PM polluton.
UNEP's Transport Unit plays a central role in the global reduction of emissions of small particulates and black carbon- through the Partnership for Clean Fuels and Vehicles (PCFV) and the Climate and Clean Air Coalition (CCAC). In the CCAC initiative- UNEP is one of the 4 co-leads in the Heavy Duty Diesel Initiative- the focus of which is to reduce small particulates and black carbon (BC). BC happens to be the second most important climate pollutant after carbon dioxide.
Note that it is found that developed countries are seeing an unprecedented improvement in the efficiency of their vehicle fleets, resulting in 3% efficiency improvements/year. However, the efficiencies in developing countries is stagnant. In addition, although many developed countries promote low S fuels of < 50 ppm, developing country fuels are still at > 5000 ppm.
Providing the right data in the right format is seen as crucial to developing the right policies. Data is being gathered on the average fuel economy of national fleets in the Global Fuel Economy Initiative (GFEI) pilot.
6) The development of an African sustainable transport action plan through a new Africa Sustainable Transport Forum
The current Business As Usual (BAU) scenario predicts a tripling of vehicles and a doubling of pollution and climate emissions. The IPCCC 5th Assessment report states that transportation could become one of the largest emitters of GHG emissions (going from 33% of the total from the current 25%), doubling its GHG emissions by 2050.
However, it has also been noted that the reduction potential of emissions in the transport sector has been underestimated. Actions that could promote this include
1) Avoid- Avoid transport by better urban planning
2) Shift- to less pollution and more efficient means of transportation
3) Improve- reduce the emissions of vehicles and other transport modes
UNEA (UN Environmental Assembly) countries adopted an Air Quality Resolution calling on governments to develop standards and policies and asked UNEP to support Governments. UNEP's Transport Unit will play a key role in the implementation of this Resolution.
1) To complete the global elimination of leaded petrol (Activities of the Transport Unit also contribute to UNEP's Chemicals and Waste sub-programme where they contribute to reducing health impacts from lead pollution through the global elimination of leaded petrol.)
UNEP has supported more than 80 countries to eliminate leaded petrol world-wide with a result that only 6 countries today continue to use small amounts of leaded petrol. These are Afghanistan, Iraq, Yemen, North Korea, Algeria, Myanmar
Barriers: Yemen and Iraq lack the financial means to upgrade their refineries
Algeria and Iraq have created stock piles of TEL (the lead additive)
All six countries lack information and capacity to make this change
Some countries have been bribed into buying stockpiles of TEL and have no means to dispose of the same?!?!
2) To develop mainly national and regional activities that will contribute to doubling the efficiency of the global light duty vehicle fleet
Most developed countries have put policies in place that promote fuel economy. For example, taxing inefficient vehicles and providing tax breaks for the efficient vehicles. Introducing vehicle labeling programs. As a result most OECD countries will see the efficiency of their fleets doubling in the coming decade.
However, most developing countries do not have similar measures. To support similar policies the Global Fuel Economy Initiative was put in place in 2008. The target is to double the fuel efficiency of the global light duty fleet from 8 l/100 km in 2005 to 4 l/100 km in 2050.
3) To promote investment in non-motorized transport infrastructure- walking and cycling
UNEP has launched a Share the Road (StR) project that is promoting the systematic inclusion of NMT infrastructure in urban road projects
4) A new clean ports project
Small particulates and black C emissions from ports come from a wide range of sources- directly or indirectly related to port operations- including ocean-going vessels, harbor craft, tug boats, power plants providing energy for port operations etc.
5) A global campaign to reduce small particulate emissions and black carbon emissions through the introduction of cleaner fuels and vehicles
WHO estimates that small PM is responsible for 7 million premature deaths annually. Transport is supposed to contribute 40-80% of PM polluton.
UNEP's Transport Unit plays a central role in the global reduction of emissions of small particulates and black carbon- through the Partnership for Clean Fuels and Vehicles (PCFV) and the Climate and Clean Air Coalition (CCAC). In the CCAC initiative- UNEP is one of the 4 co-leads in the Heavy Duty Diesel Initiative- the focus of which is to reduce small particulates and black carbon (BC). BC happens to be the second most important climate pollutant after carbon dioxide.
Note that it is found that developed countries are seeing an unprecedented improvement in the efficiency of their vehicle fleets, resulting in 3% efficiency improvements/year. However, the efficiencies in developing countries is stagnant. In addition, although many developed countries promote low S fuels of < 50 ppm, developing country fuels are still at > 5000 ppm.
Providing the right data in the right format is seen as crucial to developing the right policies. Data is being gathered on the average fuel economy of national fleets in the Global Fuel Economy Initiative (GFEI) pilot.
6) The development of an African sustainable transport action plan through a new Africa Sustainable Transport Forum
The current Business As Usual (BAU) scenario predicts a tripling of vehicles and a doubling of pollution and climate emissions. The IPCCC 5th Assessment report states that transportation could become one of the largest emitters of GHG emissions (going from 33% of the total from the current 25%), doubling its GHG emissions by 2050.
However, it has also been noted that the reduction potential of emissions in the transport sector has been underestimated. Actions that could promote this include
1) Avoid- Avoid transport by better urban planning
2) Shift- to less pollution and more efficient means of transportation
3) Improve- reduce the emissions of vehicles and other transport modes
UNEA (UN Environmental Assembly) countries adopted an Air Quality Resolution calling on governments to develop standards and policies and asked UNEP to support Governments. UNEP's Transport Unit will play a key role in the implementation of this Resolution.
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