Transport

Today’s global challenges are putting serious pressure on transport systems. From climate change and COVID-19 to conflict and macroeconomic instability, what are the implications of the current context for transport, and for the people and businesses that rely on it? How can we help the sector navigate these compounding crises? Can this be a starting point to reimagine transport and make it more inclusive, safe, sustainable, and efficient?

The 2022 edition showcased the latest thinking and disruptive solutions that are opening new doors across the industry—from innovative public transport approaches to vehicle electrification, micromobility, smarter logistics, and more. 

We cannot win the fight against climate change without taking on the rapidly growing emissions from the transport sector. But even though many of the necessary tools and technologies already exist, market uptake and financing remain low. Building on the ongoing Transport Decarbonization Investment series, this event will bring together a wide range of leaders who will explore concrete solutions for boosting innovation and investment toward low-carbon transport.

What are the responsibilities of developed and developing countries in regulating the global trade of used cars, trucks, and buses? How can we ensure these vehicles meet acceptable environmental and safety standards? These are some of the key questions that the World Bank, the government of the Netherlands, and the United Nations, and other key development partners will be taking on as they mark the launch the new Transport Decarbonization Investment series. 

Speed is one of the main risk factors in road crashes and is often cited as being the leading contributor to death and serious injury on the world’s roads. This is because higher speed is associated with a significantly higher crash risk – even small increases in speed can have a big consequence, and the probability of injury and the severity of a crash increases rapidly with higher impact speeds. In a bid to help address the collective impact of speed as a contributor to crash risks, the World Bank’s Global Road Safety Facility (GRSF) will celebrate the 6th UN Global Road Safety Week by hosting the High-level Panel “Streets for life: Saving lives on the road through safe speeds.” In this year’s theme “Streets for life: #Love30”, this event will be focused on communications strategies for speed management initiatives in low-and middle-income countries, promoting key knowledge products and a new Speed Management Hub that advocates and calls ...

Maritime transport has come under increased pressure to lower, and ultimately eliminate, its contributions to climate change. To inform shipping’s energy transition and support the sector’s climate action, the World Bank has developed two technical reports on “The Potential of Zero-Carbon Bunker Fuels in Developing Countries” and “The Role of Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) in the Transition Toward Low-and Zero-Carbon Shipping.” Accompanied by a “Summary for Policymakers and Industry”, these reports will be launched in a virtual high-level event during Singapore Maritime Week 2021. This 90 minutes’ launch event will discuss the key findings of the reports from a development perspective. It will also highlight current country ambitions and industry initiatives aimed at building up a zero-carbon bunker fuel supply chain based on green ammonia and green hydrogen.  After opening remarks by Nigel Topping, High-Level Climate Action Champion COP26, the authors will present the key conclusions of the research. This presentation will be followed by two panels featuring speakers like ...

The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted the global transport sector and the people and businesses that rely on it in unprecedented ways. Across the globe, rethinking mobility is now a priority to build back better, with safer, more resilient and efficient transport systems for all. Transforming Transportation 2021 brought together sustainable mobility world leaders from the public, private, academic and civil society spheres in a global virtual event to discuss the path forward.

COVID-19 has upended mobility in South Asian cities, disrupting public transport and laying bare poor and unsafe conditions, especially for pedestrians and cyclists. How can South Asia make its urban mobility sustainable and safer for all, as we move towards a resilient recovery? Watch our live panel and join the conversation with #RoadSafety. Register to receive updates on the virtual event.

How can we transform transportation to create a more sustainable future? As populations and economies continue to grow, the demand for mobility is at an all-time high. Yet the current state of global transport is far from perfect. The number of vehicles has been soaring, pushing transport emissions and road fatalities to unprecedented levels. At the same time, 1 billion rural residents still lack access to an all-weather road, while in the world’s booming cities, public transport is often inexistent or unaffordable. The world has a lot to gain from addressing these issues and transitioning toward more sustainable mobility. Better transport could translate into an additional $2.6 trillion in GPD a year, emissions savings of 1.8 gigatons of CO2, and 800,000 fewer road fatalities. Although these targets may seem ambitious, they can be achieved. With technological innovation and renewed global commitment, a better transport future is within reach. To discuss how we can make this happen, transport leaders from around the world will ...

Join us for a lively discussion on the Global Roadmap of Action Toward Sustainable Mobility (GRA), a tool to guide country decision-makers on “how to” achieve mobility that is efficient, accessible, safe and green. The GRA is a groundbreaking tool that proposes a coherent and integrated menu of more than 180 policy measures that both developed and developing countries can draw on to attain the SDGs by 2030 and achieve the four policy goals that define sustainable mobility. It is the outcome of more than 18 months of work by 55 influential organizations, 180 experts, and consultations with 50 public decision makers and 25 private corporations.

Global leaders, activists, and investors gathered Thursday to discuss the power of infrastructure and the critical role it plays in connecting people to opportunity. Through a series of TED-style talks, speakers shared compelling examples of how regional integration, investment and innovation in infrastructure have worked to deliver better outcomes for communities and countries.  Panelists reflected on the examples shared and discussed priorities for bridging the infrastructure gap, including greater accessibility, more and better data, innovative financing vehicles, and expanded partnerships.

Electric vehicles, shared mobility platforms, autonomous cars… the transport sector is rife with innovation. New technologies and business models are quickly transforming the way we move, both in developed and developing countries. Now, how can we turn this into an opportunity to make transport greener, safer, more inclusive and efficient? This question will be at the core of the Transforming Transportation 2019 conference, so don’t miss our livestream on January 17-18 to learn more about new mobility solutions and sustainable transport. You can follow the entire event live and share your thoughts right on this page, or on Twitter using #TTDC19. Watch, engage, and be part of the global conversation!

**The above video is part of a playlist that contains seven separate videos from the conference** Mobility that is smart and sustainable will be essential in addressing global issues such as climate change, poverty, women’s empowerment, and public health and safety. This January, transport leaders from around the world will convene for the 2018 edition of Transforming Transportation to explore the cutting-edge solutions that will help make mobility safer, greener, more inclusive and efficient. This year’s conference will pay special attention to the role technology and digital platforms can play in the transition to sustainable transportation, looking at innovations like shared mobility, autonomous driving, and electric vehicles. THURSDAY January 11 9-9:30am | Welcome address 9:30-11am | Opening Session: Achieving Sustainable Mobility for All in the Digital Economy 11:15am-12:45pm| New Mobility and Universal Access 2-3:20pm | Autonomous Vehicles: Are We Ready? 4-5:30pm | Transport Corridors: Connectivity for a Brighter Future 5:30-5:45pm | Lee Schipper Memorial Scholarship FRIDAY January 12 9-10am | ...

In the first-ever open Annual Meetings event dedicated entirely to the transport sector, leaders and influencers came together to share their vision for the future of mobility. The premise of the discussion was simple: with transport demand at an all-time high, countries cannot continue to embrace unsustainable policies that keep expanding the carbon footprint of the sector, lead to alarming rates of road fatalities, and leave behind many disadvantaged communities. UNDP Goodwill Ambassador Michelle Yeoh opened the session with a powerful statement highlighting the need to move from words to action. While mobility challenges are complex, Yeoh, an acclaimed actress, noted that “it is up to us to write our own script” to create a better tomorrow. She then turned the floor over to a high-level panel composed of Kristalina Georgieva, CEO of the World Bank; Jean Todt, President of the Federation Internationale de l ’Automobile and UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for Road Safety, Raj Rao, CEO of Ford ...

Want to hear some big ideas on how to #EndPoverty? As part of our Annual Meetings 2017 Interview Series, we will be talking with Raj Rao, Chief Executive Officer of Ford Smart Mobility, about transport mobility. Join us live on October 12 at 3:45 pm. Have a question for Raj? Ask in the comments!