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High-Level 14th Regional EST Forum in Asia
October 18, 2021 – October 20, 2021 CEST
Overview
It is predicted that by 2030 Asia will have nearly half of the global population, with approximately 60 percent of global growth, 40 percent of total world’s GDP (in PPP), one third of global transport CO2 emissions, and almost 60 percent of worldwide road accidents and fatalities. With growing car ownership, Asian cities are in forefront of facing a number of challenges such as air pollution, traffic congestion, road accidents and fatalities and rising level of GHG emissions.
To sustain ongoing economic growth, prosperity, and to achieve SDG 11, among others, Asian countries and cities will need a massive transformation in their transport sector. New innovations and technological advancement in recent years and innovative responses to the COVID-19 pandemic have provided opportunities for Asian countries, to not only recover from the pandemic, but also to transform their transport system (both passenger and freight) to achieving greater safety, affordability, accessibility, GHG emission reduction and resilience. Acknowledging that the required transformation in the transport sector in Asia will require a significant effort that will not happen instantly, and that there is a need for collective, focused, and coordinated action among all the Member Countries.
The Ministry of the Environment, Government of Japan; Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, Government of Japan; Aichi Prefectural Government of Japan; Asian Development Bank (ADB); United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UN ESCAP), and the United Nations Centre for Regional Development of the Division for Sustainable Development Goals/United Nations Development of Economic and Social Affairs (UNCRDDSDG/UN DESA) co-organised the high-level 14th Regional EST Forum in Asia from 18 to 20 October 2021 in Tokoname City, Aichi Prefecture, Japan, with the theme of “Next Generation Transport Systems for Achieving SDGs and Carbon Neutrality – for a Safer, Affordable, Accessible and Resilient Asia”, and in conjunction with other events such as Japan-ASEAN Smart City Network, HELP, SDG promotional events and technical tours.
IRF was among the leading transport organisations supporting the event. The latter concluded with the adoption of the Aichi 2030 Declaration.