TRANSPORT: Motor Vehicles a ‘Global Problem’

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Stefania Bianchi

BRUSSELS, Jul 5 2004 (IPS) - Global cooperation is needed to limit the impact of motor vehicles, according to a new report released Monday.

The World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD), a coalition of 170 international companies, says increased coordination between countries is needed to “limit the adverse social and environmental impact of motor vehicles.”

The report ‘Mobility 2030: Meeting the Challenges to Sustainability’ assesses the sustainability of 12 global automotive and energy companies products and the future of mobility with a special focus on road transport.

The 12 companies involved in the project are General Motors, Toyota, Royal Dutch/Shell, BP, DaimlerChrysler, Ford, Honda, Nissan, Michelin, Renault, Norsk Hydro and Volkswagen.

The report defines sustainable mobility as “the ability to meet the needs of society to move freely, gain access, communicate, trade and establish relationships without sacrificing other essential human or ecological values today or in the future.”

The WBSCD says that if current mobility trends continue, social, economic and environmental costs worldwide would be “unacceptably high.”

These include ensuring that emissions of conventional pollutants from transport do not constitute a significant health concern anywhere in the world, limiting greenhouse gas emissions from transport to sustainable levels, and significantly reducing traffic-related deaths and serious injuries.

Other recommended measures aim to reduce transport-related noise, moderate traffic congestion, and bridge the divide in mobility opportunities that exists between and within different societies and regions.

The report highlights the role that developing countries will play in the future of sustainable mobility. “Without a strong political commitment from developing countries, sustainable mobility on a global scale will not be possible,” the report says.

By 2030 half the global population will be living in urban areas in developing countries, creating huge new demands for mobility. Such countries will account for most of the net increase of the world’s motor vehicle fleet over this period, resulting in a significant growth in emissions.

Although some progress is beginning to be made in the developing world, the WBSCD says “full achievement” is unlikely until after 2030.

“The key to sustainable mobility on a global basis will be achieving it in the developing world. Fundamental to achieving this is the need to narrow the mobility opportunity divides that exist within countries as well as between the world’s poorest countries and the developed world,” Dr. Shoichiro Toyoda, honorary chairman of Toyota said in a statement Monday.

However, the report stresses that the achievement of the goals is “beyond the capabilities” of any one company, one industry or one country to resolve, and will require cooperation and effort from every level of society.

“Major changes in transport use will be involved, and it is probable that different countries will adopt different approaches according to individual circumstances. In this scenario the role of industry will be central and critical. The most likely way ahead is the development of a combination of technologies,” the report says.

Solutions will require input from a broad coalition of governments, industry, nongovernmental organisations (NGOs) and society at large, and would include developing countries as well as the developed ones.

Such changes may take up to half a century to resolve, but WBCSD stresses that action should be started now.

“This project represents a major milestone in our industries facing up to the scale of the challenge to make transport sustainable in the 21st century,” said Jeroen van der Veer, chairman of the committee of managing directors with the Royal Dutch/ Shell group of companies.

The Mobility 2030 project was undertaken in early 2000 to develop a clearer understanding of how developed and developing societies can most effectively address the adverse effects of increasing levels of transport activity.

General Motors executive vice-president Tom Gottschalk says professional opinion around the world needs to be tapped to develop a clearer understanding of the mobility challenges faced by different countries and regions.

“The challenges to sustaining mobility are significant, but they can be met over time, provided society supports constructive approaches and solutions and encourages real understanding and cooperation among stakeholders,” he said. “This report contributes positively toward that goal."