At last displaying unity and resolve equal to the challenge, the Paris Agreement represents a turning point for the world. Alone, the agreement is not enough to prevent climate change’s most devastating consequences, yet it provides the foundation and framework for continued progress for years to come. At COP21 in Paris, both cities and transportation received prominent recognition for the role they can play in reducing emissions, but further integration of transportation is necessary to achieve the ambitions of the Paris Agreement. With the world resolved to take action, responsibility now shifts to those at the local level. Cities must focus on transformative transportation strategies supported by effective financing and strong urban governance to increase our climate ambitions, slash emissions, and build a sustainable, equitable future.

The Paris Agreement marks the first time that nearly the entire world, 195 nations, declared their intention to combat climate change. The Agreement achieved many things. It affirmed the goal of keeping global temperature increases to 2 degrees, and set an aspiration of reaching a 1.5 degree scenario.

On financing, it calls for a continuation of the policy for richer nations to contribute $100 billion annually to a fund supporting sustainable growth in developing nations. Perhaps most importantly, the agreement sets a floor for action, and provides a structure for nations to increase their ambitions every five years by submitting new emissions reductions plans. While not a perfect document, the Paris Agreement sets a strong basis for continued progress.

And yet, the commitments made in Paris are not enough. With negotiations complete, the world is still on track for a 2.7 degree temperature increase – enough to cause devastating draughts, floods, and storms. It is critical that local actors take the lead and continue to push to cut more emissions, sooner.

Fortunately, more and more leaders are recognizing that transportation and sustainable development offer previously untapped opportunities to take action and limit emissions. Already in Paris, a conference of 500 Mayors released the Paris Declaration, promising to look to transportation, waste management, and urban design to find ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. In any plan to achieve a 2 degree or less scenario, transportation will play a critical role.

Our best bet for achieving our climate goals is a focus on ‘avoid’ and ‘shift’ strategies. Until now, much of the focus on transport has centered on “improve” strategies, such as fuel efficiency and electric vehicles. While these strategies yield incremental results, they do not create the transformational change necessary to dramatically improve our climate future. Instead, leaders should encourage development plans that avoid the need to travel distances (e.g. transit-oriented development) and shift trips to low carbon modes (e.g. walking and biking). These strategies have incredible potential for environmental and financial benefits, and have the greatest potential for transformative change.

A shift toward cycling, as part of a comprehensive shift toward sustainable transport, would bring dramatic emissions and financial savings.

In addition, shifting to cycling, walking, and public transport results in many co-benefits beyond the climate impacts. Avoid-shift strategies also lead to safer streets, better air quality, and more vibrant public spaces.

Many of these outcomes are articulated as goals by the international community, including in the Sustainable Development Goals. Transport projects can contribute to progress and metrics for the world’s development and climate goals in tandem. Our challenges are too great to solve one at a time.

To make change happen, the global community must improve behind-the-scenes financing and governance systems. Expanding the options for project financing, such as the Green Climate Fund, will allow more cities to start transformative projects. At the same time, local actors must increase funding levels for transportation and stabilize funding streams to allow long term planning.

In governance, increasing institutional capacity will create more impactful transport solutions. An important piece of this puzzle will be strengthening relationships between the transport sector and the environmental and climate sectors. Improving the systems for implementing solutions will maximize results and open up new opportunities to slash emissions.

Reaching our most ambitious climate goals requires immediate and regular work. The Paris Agreement is not set to take effect until 2020. Meanwhile, it is critical that nations not lose sight of their pre-2020 commitments. By focusing on effective transportation strategies, cities can improve not only the environment, but their quality of life.

From how we see friends, build communities, and get to work, transport impacts all parts of our lives. The Paris Agreement brought the world together. Now, to assure a vibrant future, it’s time to act.

The 21st Conference of the Parties (COP21) to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) will be a pivotal moment in global politics, to provide the basis for future progress around climate change mitigation. With Chennai slowly recovering from the disastrous floods in the city over the past weeks, the need for landmark agreements to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and curb the impact of climate change becomes all the more relevant in the Indian context too, with sustainable transport playing an important role in climate change mitigation. 

After years of hard work by ITDP and colleague organizations, the transportation sector has gained prominence in negotiations and become a critical part of efforts to promote sustainable growth while addressing environmental challenges. In the past, there was little discussion of transport at similar events. At COP21, dozens of presentations, events, and meetings are highlighting the role of transportation, from high level discussions to specific action-based local plans.

The BRT in Lanzhou, China, is helping the city move away from car-centric growth.

Transportation is the fastest growing source of CO2 in the world. According to the International Energy Agency, greenhouse gas emissions from transportation are expected to increase by 120% from 2000 to 2050, largely as a result of a projected three-fold increase in the number of cars worldwide. At the same time, the world is becoming a more urban place as over half the population moves to cities. Private cars are clogging the streets from Rio de Janeiro to Beijing to Delhi, straining economic growth and pumping out harmful emissions. The rapid pace of urban growth is intensifying the need for sustainable solutions.

The Paris agreement is a chance for the world to set the right course for our future. The agreement will be legally binding, and rest on flexible voluntary plans offered by individual nations. More than 75 percent of the plan announcements leading to COP21 identify transport as an opportunity for emissions reductions, and more than half contains specific measures for mitigation actions related to transportation.

While many large developing countries, such as India or China, and high income countries, such as Japan and Canada, have included initiatives in transportation, it is encouraging that many countries not usually known for taking bold steps in sustainable transport are stepping up as well. For example, Jordan has proposed increasing public transport by 25% by 2025, while Bangladesh has announce it will shift passenger traffic from road to rail by 20% by 2030 and achieve a 15% improvement in vehicle efficiency.

Leading up to COP21, ITDP and our partners, including the Partnership on Sustainable Low Carbon Transport (SLoCaT), have promoted that governments integrate transport into emissions reduction plans, encourage ambitious commitments, and provide the tools to maximize impacts.

Throughout the conference, ITDP will work to spotlight best practices in national plans and provide examples of what true climate leadership in transport looks like. In addition, ITDP will work to highlight how transport actions contribute not just to emission reductions goals, but many other global goals, including improved air quality, reduced traffic congestion and increased road safety.

The time to act is now. Currently, the commitments for national emission reduces will limit the global temperature increase to 3.5 degrees. This means more ambitious action is still needed to keep the world within a 2 degree increase, generally regarded as the goal necessary to avoiding climate change’s most devastating impacts.

Failure to change transport and land use patterns in the short term will lock in high-emissions infrastructure for years to come. COP21 is an exciting step toward achieving our collective climate goals. It offers a unique opportunity – it’s up to us to seize the momentum.