JOIN US AT TRANSFORMING TRANSPORTATION 2022

How to Ensure that the Transport and Mobility Systems are Sustainable 

Do you want to learn how at SuM4All we are developing an innovative policy approach for sustainable mobility? If so, this virtual event is for you!  

Our world is changing fast. This change presents abundant opportunities for progress but may also pose new risks and vulnerabilities that need to be managed. The Sustainable Mobility for All (SuM4All) partnership—a coalition of 56 international organizations and private companies with a shared ambition on the future of mobility—has stepped up to meet this challenge and developed an innovative approach and a unique set of tools for improved public decision-making in transport.  

The approval of the Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris Climate Agreement highlighted the limitations in the traditional approach used for public decision-making in transport—siloed and structured by modes and around multiple specialized organizations. This approach could no longer serve the imperative of achieving higher-level goals for the planet's well-being. Ensuring that these new priorities are achieved requires a fundamental rethinking of how the whole decision-making process works in transport.   

The innovative approach to public decision-making in transport shifts the focus away from “projects to implement” to “ensuring that the transport and mobility system is sustainable—that is: meet four policy goals: universal access, safety, efficiency, and green mobility.  

Broadening the ambition for transport necessitated developing new tools for diagnosing problems and selecting the right policies. This set of tools (i.e., Global Tracking Framework for Transport, Catalogue of policy instruments, and Selection algorithm) uses the power of data and indicators, comparative analysis, and global knowledge to elaborate coherent and actionable plans (policies and investments); tailored to countries’ transport system. With this approach, SuM4All has been uniquely positioned to engage with national and city decision-makers and the international community in a new conversation on mobility and emerging solutions. 

In 2021, this approach was tested and refined through a pilot in South Africa. With support from the Development Bank of Southern Africa, the SuM4All partnership developed a comprehensive and robust diagnostic of South Africa's transport and mobility system to quantify sustainability gaps. The "South Africa Mobility Report: Tracking Transport Sector Performances" covers all modes of transportation, passengers and freight, infrastructure, and services. The "South Africa's Roadmap of Action Toward Sustainable Mobility" report identifies a set of policy and investment priorities to bridge the sustainability gaps and improve the performance of South Africa's transport and mobility system. It is essential to highlight that several other countries have requested similar support to South Africa. 

All of this will be discussed at Transforming Transportation 2022 in a High-Level Technical Session titled “An Innovative Policy Approach for Sustainable Mobility” taking place on February 17th, 2022; 9.45 am-10:45 am (EST).  

We invite you to join us by registering for the event.