The United Nation’s chief climate official has warned the transport sector that if it does not adapt quickly to climate change, its ability to influence events will diminish.
Yvo de Boer told a transport conference in Leipzig that the transport sector must choose whether it wants to help shape a global climate treaty or be shaped by it.
‘All of the current trends in transport fly in the face of what science tells us is required,’ he said. ‘Developed countries need to start thinking hard about what short- and medium-term sectoral emissions reductions they want to commit to in the transport sector.’
De Boer recommended ambitious emissions standards for cars and including transport in an international emissions trading scheme.
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Priority must be placed on tackling bottlenecks in cross-border rail infrastructure and supporting domestic clean fuel production.
European shipping emissions jumped 13% in 2024 despite a downtick in trade, while emissions from moving fossil fuels around remain stubbornly high