11/20/2012

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Sustainable & Healthy Transport

as key to the

Green Economy and SDGs

Dr Carlos Dora

Coordinator

Interventions for Healthy Environments

Department of Public Health and the Environment

PUBLIC HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENT

Public health and environment |

This presentation covers

1. Political landscape – SDGs, NCDs, Green Economy, Climate

2. Sustainable & healthy transport as key to Green Economy

(results from WHO analysis)

3. Actions for sustainable and healthy transport in Sus Dev

• Guidance - articulating policy solutions

• Monitoring performance - indicators/ SDG/ tracking system

• Organizing support – TWG, High level group, friends of ST, Corporate, EST fora

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Public health and environment |

Cardiovascular disease,

mainly heart disease, stroke

Cancer

Chronic respiratory diseases

Diabetes

Health Landscape: NCDs creating huge

costs - Prevention in “sectors” is key

Public health and environment |

Climate change: important forum for

sustainable development debates

UN Framework Convention

on Climate Change (Kyoto,

Copenhagen, etc.)

- International political and

financial commitments

Intergovernmental Panel on

Climate Change (each 5-6

years):

- Scientific assessment of

process, impacts,

adaptation, mitigation

options. UNFCCC Conference of Parties, Copenhagen, 2009:

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Public health and environment |

UNFCCC Convention

IPCC UNEP – WMO

Joint Program

Secretariat

Bonn

Nairobi Work Programme

on Adaptation

Secretariat

Bonn

SBSTA

Subsidiary Body for Scientific

And Technological

Advice

SBI

Subsidiary Body For

Implementation

Member

States

Kyoto

Protocol

CDM Clean Development Mechanism

Tools/Mechanisms

Subsidiary Bodies

Member States

Convention

Adaptation

Fund

COP Da

ta

Expert Meetings

So

cio

-Ec

on

om

ic

Tec

hn

olo

gie

s

UN agencies

Experts

NGOs…

WHO

EB resolution

Expert sources

Montreal

Protocol

GEF

Public health and environment |

Green Economy initiatives

– UN Rio+20 – Conference Theme

– OECD

UNEP … and more

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Public health and environment |

“Green” in support of Human well-being

– Health impacts of green economy strategies

– Health Impact Assessment of policies

– Health-relevant goals, indicators, and tools

Public health and environment |

Rio + 20 – WHO Key Messages 1. Health is an important input to sustainable development –

healthy people are better able to learn, work and contribute to their

economies and societies. Universal access to health services is key input to better

health.

2. Sustainable Development can improve health –

smart strategies for transport, housing, energy & agriculture reduce NCDs and

diseases of poverty, and enhance health (e.g. physical activity).

•This is not automatic! opportunities have not been fully exploited.

•Health risks and benefits of different economic development

strategies need more explicit consideration.

3. Health indicators can measure the success of sustainable

development goals and support governance.

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Public health and environment |

Smart development choices can reduce

pollution/injury and improve health

Public health and environment |

Sustainable & Healthy Transport are

key to a 'Green Economy'

• WHO "Health in a Green Economy Initiative" examined:

– IPCC proposed policies to mitigate climate change

– Health impacts of alternative policy/investment scenarios

– Opportunities and barriers to better policies identified

TO identify Transport strategies with greatest gain for society

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Public health and environment |

Findings: IPCC over-emphasizes improved vehicles as a strategy – ignores health benefits of alternatives

Gaps – Misses major health and mitigation co-benefit opportunities

from cycling/walking/transit & compact urban land use.

Errors of ‘evidence’ – Diesel proposed as climate change solution

– a major source of small particles & short-acting climate pollutants

Methods – No lifecycle assessment of CO2 from “green” cars/fuels

Public health and environment |

Evidence: Better health outcomes from

higher use of active transport & transit

Factor Studies finding improved outcomes Studies finding worse outcomes

Use of different travel modes

Increased physical activity88,185–197

Increased stress and psychological distress

198

Reduced BMI or obesity35,109,118,148,188,199–205

Increased road traffic injury

23

Reduced air pollution-related effects23

Improved quality of life or reported health status

167,183,206

Reductions in specific health problems188,206

More active transport (walking, cycling)

Lower mortality / higher life expectancy

36,37,207

Increased walking, cycling or active transport

208

Increased air pollution-related effects

185

Increased physical activity185,209,210

Increased risk of tuberculosis

211

Reduced BMI or obesity148,203,212

More use of public transport

Reduced air pollution-related effects70,213

Increased walking, cycling or active transport

94,129,132,134,141–143,149,150,152,178,179,214–

217

Increased physical activity160,181,191,218

Reduced BMI or obesity73,109,148,164,218–221

Improved reported health status166

Lower car use, car ownership and traffic volumes

Reductions in specific health problems222

Review of

studies on

urban travel

mode, in

association

with physical

activity and

health –

WHO/Health in

Green Economy

(2011)

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Public health and environment |

… Investment in walking/cycling transit

also associated with better health Infrastructure for different travel modes (including presence and proximity of infrastructure)

Increased walking, cycling or active transport

94,133,138,144,146,147,154,175,223–229

Less active transport179

Increased physical activity

104,154,155,160,176,184,223,228,230–239

Reduced BMI or obesity

111,118,119,165,224,234,238–240

Reduced air pollution-related effects234

Improved reported health status224

Reductions in specific health problems222,224

More infrastructure facilitating walking (including general assessments of “walkability” of neighbourhoods as well as presence of specific features, e.g. pavements)

Lower mortality / higher life expectancy47

Increased walking, cycling or active transport

94,136–139,141,144,171,175,241–243

More infrastructure facilitating cycling

Increased physical activity

27,104,157,159,161,184,244

Increased walking, cycling or active transport

44,133,140,146

Less walking, cycling or active transport 89,94,150,152,179,245

Increased physical activity

103,140,157,159,182

Reduced BMI or obesity113,117

More infrastructure facilitating public transport use

Reduced air pollution-related effects246

Increased walking, cycling or active transport

245,247

Less infrastructure facilitating car travel (including parking, motorways)

Reduced BMI or obesity73

Review of

studies on

infrastructure

investment, in

association

with

physical

activity and

health –

WHO/Health in Green

Economy (2011)

Public health and environment |

What needs

to be done?

Building on

our

knowledge

…

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Public health and environment |

Member States

Intergovernmental Open Working Group

on SDGs (OWG)

Other

UN System

UNTT Technical Support Team on

SDGs

Thematic collaborations

Civil Society

Multi-stakeholder advisory group on

SDGs (MAG), TBC

Rio+20

Man

dat

ed f

or

the

SD

Gs

HLP and OWG reports

to 68th UNGA 2013

2010 MDG Summit

Member States

SG’s High Level

Panel of Eminent

Persons on Post-2015

Development Agenda (HLP)

UN System

UN Task Team (UNTT) Working Groups

UNDG MDG Task Force

Consultations

Civil Society

Sustainable Development

Solutions Network (SDSN)

Man

date

d t

he

Post

-2015

Develo

pm

en

t

Agen

da

Sus Dev Parallel, Intersecting Processes

Informal Coordination Group: DESA-ASG (Shamshad Akhtar), UNDG/UN

Women-ASG (John Hendra), SG Special Advisor on Post-2015 (Amina Mohammed)

Public health and environment |

Post-2015 Development Agenda: HLP

Co-Chairs

Other members from:

Lead Author and Executive Secretary: Homi Kharas (Pakistan)

Ex-officio: Amina Mohammed (Nigeria, Special Advisor to SG on Post-2015 Development Planning)

Susilo Bambang

Yudhoyono

President of

Indonesia

Ellen Johnson

Sirleaf

President of

Liberia

David Cameron

Prime Minister of

the UK

Benin Brazil China Colombia Cuba France Germany Japan Jordan

Kenya India Latvia Mexico Netherlands Nigeria Russian

Federation South Africa

Republic of Korea

Sweden Timor-Leste

Turkey USA Yemen

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Public health and environment |

UN Secretary General’s Action Plan on

Sustainable Transport plans to…

• “Convene aviation, marine, ferry,

rail, road and urban public transport

providers, along with Governments

and investors,

• to develop and take action on

recommendations for more

• sustainable transport systems

that can address rising congestion

and pollution worldwide, particularly

in urban areas”.

Public health and environment |

Secretary

General

Ban Ki-

Moon

Action Agenda

2012 - 2016

Post 2015

Sustainable

Development

Framework

Food &

Nutrition Water Oceans Transport Antarctica Energy

Convening Mechanism(s)

Sustainable Transport

TWG on SG action plan on

sustainable transport

Post 2015 development agenda & sustainable transport

26 member High Level Panel

on Post 2015 Development

Agenda

UN Task Team on Post 2015

Agenda

Outcome document:

“The Future We

Want” (Sustainable Transport)

30 Country UNGA Open

Working Group on SDGs

“UN Friends Group

Sustainable Transport”

Ad hoc Working Group on

the Durban Platform for

Enhanced Action

Post 2020 Climate

Change Regime

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Public health and environment |

How can we contribute?

We, who know of the links between transport, health, environment and

development, who have learned the lessons….

Hanoi, 1993

Hanoi, 2001

Hanoi, 2002

Public health and environment |

A way forward

1.Guidance -To clearly articulate policy

solutions

2.Monitor performance - indicators/ SDG/

tracking system

3.Organize support – TWG, High level support

group, friends of ST, corporate, EST fora

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Public health and environment |

Guidance can and should:

1.Clearly articulate - best practice to those

unfamiliar with entire body of evidence

2.Carry authority of evidence-base – high

impact in fast-developing cities

3.Neutral & global – human development is driver,

not business, not politics, not regional differences

Public health and environment |

Sustainable Transport

- status and priorities ?

• Equitable access to goods and services – poverty alleviation

• Road safety

• Air Quality Levels -Health Impacts

• GHG Emissions

• Fuel Subsidies

• Energy Security

• Land-use

• Congestion

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Public health and environment |

Monitoring

1. Indicators of transport & sustainable

development – should measure outcomes in terms

that matter to people – health, environment

2. A tracking system – to follow trends in transport

policies, environment, health and development

impacts

Public health and environment |

Indicators for Sustainable Transport

① The proportion of the urban and rural poor for whom mobility problems severely restrict access to

employment and essential services is halved by 2030 compared to 2010 - Access/Equity

② Maintain 2010 share of personal trips by public and non-motorized transport for countries currently above

50%, and where this share is currently below 50% achieve at least a 10% gain by 2025

Access/Equity/Environment

③ Support the Decade of Action for Road Safety (2011-20) and its objective to cut traffic-related deaths in half

by 2025 Health/Equity

④ Cut the contribution of freight and passenger transport to emissions of harmful air pollutants by half by

2025. Environment

⑤ Cut the fuel use/km of new Light Duty Vehicles by 50% by 2030, compared to 2005 levels Environment

⑥ Ensure global greenhouse gas emissions from passenger and freight transport peak by 2020 and are cut by at

least 40 % by 2050 compared to 2005 levels. Environment

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Public health and environment |

Organize Political Support

1.Transport Working Group – to advise the

UN SG, DESA & governments

2.High level group – politicians, champions

3.Friends of ST – Missions to the UN in NYC

4.Corporate

5.Regional fora

Public health and environment |

Existing Coordination and Convening Mechanisms

a) Regional EST Forums (Africa, Asia, Latin-America) – THE PEP (Europe and North America)

b) International Transport Forum

c) SLoCaT Partnership

d) Other more focused initiatives – The Friends of Fossil Fuel Subsidies Reform

– Global Decade of Action on Road Safety

– 50 by 50 Campaign

– Doubling the share of public transport by 2025,

– Partnership on Clean Fuels and Vehicles,

– Bridging the Gap Initiative

– MDB monitoring and reporting working group on Rio+20 financial VC

e) Friends Group on Sustainable Transport

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Public health and environment |

Outcomes

① Improved visibility of sustainable transport in sustainable development Resolution on Sustainable Transport for adoption by the General

Assembly

② Consensus around bold goals including an SDG Universal (Equitable) access to goods and services through safe,

clean and affordable transport systems (SDG?)

③ Documented gaps and progress Global reporting mechanism on sustainable transport

④ Greater accountability among UN, government, corporate and development actors