Alliance-led Workshop in Singapore Highlights Transportation Policy Solutions for APEC Economies

To address the challenges that arise from the ever-expanding transportation sectors in developing regions, the Alliance faciliatated a workshop called Policies to Promote Energy Efficiency in Transportation. Held March 24 and 25 at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Secretariat in Singapore, the workshop featured six panel discussions and three plenary sessions in which speakers and participants from various APEC economies addressed a broad range of transportation-related topics, including fuel economy standards, operational efficiency programs, freight efficiency, mass transit, reducing road congestion, land use and urban planning and the integration of transportation and climate policies.

The need for efficiency in transportation is of particular concern in cities in Asia, Latin America and other developing regions, where astronomical population growth creates an increasing demand for personal mobility, causing severe strain on transportation infrastructures in urban areas. This in turn leads to increased demand for oil; exacerbated road congestion; safety and health concerns caused by local pollution; and escalating greenhouse gas emissions. Many developing countries are at a critical juncture where the policies they choose now may dictate the flexibility and sustainability of their transportation framework in the future.

During the workshop, participants agreed that, in the near term, policies and regulations aimed at improving fuel economy and freight efficiency and logistics would have significant impacts. There was also wide consensus on the need for long-term, transit-oriented planning that will ultimately reduce the need for private mobility, relieve congestion and reduce energy use, pollution and carbon emissions.

These combined goals were concisely summed up in the "Avoid-Shift-Improve" approach laid out in the Asian Development Bank’s action plan on transportation and climate. In other words, a comprehensive transportation policy framework would need to simultaneously avoid the need for travel, encourage a shift non-motorized and low-carbon transport, and improve the efficiency of existing systems and vehicles.

The workshop participants identified APEC's key roles for helping the region address the challenges related to transportation energy use, including facilitating the collection of meaningful data, and compiling success stories from economies in various stages of development. Finally, the workshop participants recognized the need to engage all stakeholders, including those in the private sector, as economies explore strategies to move toward a sustainable and energy-efficient transportation future. In the coming weeks, the Alliance will work with the participants to identify action items for APEC that will complement other international initiatives.

To learn more about the workshop outcomes, please contact Diana Lin (dlin@ase.org).