The transport sector is a major source of emissions in Asia. Here are 6 ways to fix that

Time is running out for decarbonizing transport in Asia and the Pacific. The region faces a critical choice as the climate crisis worsens, fueled largely by rapidly rising transport emissions.

Progress in decarbonizing Asia Pacific’s transport systems is lagging, putting global climate goals at risk. Since the Paris Agreement was adopted in 2015, transport has been Asia's second fastest growing source of emissions, after power. The region's transport emissions grew 6.6% year-on-year last year – the highest increase of any sector and any region – to reach 12% of the region’s total emissions and 40% of global transport emissions.

This now matches the transport emissions of Europe and North America combined, underscoring Asia’s pivotal role in global climate action.

While Asia has made significant strides in implementing transitional measures to decarbonize transport, including e-mobility and curbing fossil fuel subsidies, steep challenges remain. This includes a considerable transport infrastructure gap, struggling public transport, stagnant bicycle use and slow uptake of renewable energy in the transport sector.

The good news is that addressing these challenges will also open a window of opportunity to check climate change through policies that cap transport emissions by 2030 and initiate reductions thereafter – as envisaged in the Aichi 2030 Declaration. This agreement, signed in 2021 by 21 Asian countries, sets out goals for achieving “universally accessible, safe, affordable, efficient, resilient, clean and low-carbon” sustainable passenger and freight Transport across Asia.

Three factors make this opportunity too good for Asia to miss. Unlike other regions, its still-developing transport infrastructure isn’t locked into older, less efficient systems. So, Asian countries can build a sustainable foundation from the ground up by prioritizing climate-friendly options like high-speed rail, electric bus networks and cycling infrastructure.

Moreover, the region hasn't fully embraced the car. While private vehicle ownership is rising, the door remains open for investments in robust public transport, shared mobility schemes and urban planning that promotes walking and cycling.

Finally, by acting now, the Asia Pacific region can leapfrog older technologies. It can use new solutions like electric vehicles to sidestep inefficient, polluting technologies such as the internal combustion engine.

One powerful way to leverage these advantages would be to overhaul the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) of the region’s countries. These roadmaps were developed by countries under the Paris Agreement to cut national emissions and adapt to climate impacts. Though crucial, many have a blind spot on transport – particularly the NDCs of developing countries in Asia and the Pacific region.

Many NDCs lack clear, ambitious targets for reducing transport emissions, including the emissions-heavy freight sector. Significant policy gaps between NDCs and national transport policies hamper sustainable transport uptake. As a result, transport systems often aren’t adapted to climate impacts such as extreme weather events.

Moreover, stronger guidance is needed on how to access financing options, especially for low and middle-income countries, which often lack funds to build resilient transport projects.

By taking six steps to embed transport deeper into NDCs, Asian countries can address these shortcomings and improve global chances of beating climate change:

To start, these national plans should incorporate explicit and ambitious emission reduction targets for the transport sector, including freight-specific measures, to align with the 1.5-degree pathway. Clear timelines for peaking emissions and concrete steps toward decarbonization are crucial.

Prioritizing the expansion and improvement of public transport is vital to providing sustainable urban mobility. NDCs should emphasize public transport infrastructure and service investments that convince people to take buses, trains and other public options, rather than buy their own car.

Another essential step is to promote electric mobility and phase-out fossil fuel subsidies, which are crucial to decarbonizing the transport sector. NDCs should include clear targets for electric vehicle adoption and outline strategies for transitioning away from fossil fuels.

As transport infrastructure is vulnerable to climate change impacts, NDCs should include explicit measures to enhance the resilience of transport systems against extreme weather events and other climate-related disruptions.

Innovative financing mechanisms are also critical for implementing ambitious transport decarbonization plans. To mobilize investments, NDCs should explore innovative financing mechanisms such as public-private partnerships and green bonds.

Finally, building institutional capacity and technical expertise is crucial for effectively implementing transport policies and NDC commitments. National transport policies should be aligned with country climate commitments to ensure effective implementation.

The role of transport in climate change and within the NDCs should be a key discussion point at the COP29 climate summit in Azerbaijan in November 2024. By prioritizing clean transport in national climate action plans Asia and the Pacific region can reinvigorate efforts to secure a net-zero world.

Alvin Mejia, Co-Team Lead, Asian Transport Outlook, contributed to this article.