Workshop on Policies to Promote Energy Efficiency in Transport in APEC Economies

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The Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Workshop on Policies that Promote Energy Efficiency in Transport (WPPEET) – held at the APEC Secretariat in Singapore on 24 – 25 March, 2009 – provided a lively forum on a range of topics that covered fuel economy standards, operational efficiency programs, freight efficiency, mass transit, reducing road congestion, land use and urban planning, and the integration of transportation and energy policy.

While the targeted focus of the workshop was on policies that could decrease the energy intensity and consumption of the transport sector in APEC economies, workshop participants unanimously recognized the importance of energy efficiency and transportation within the larger context of climate change and sustainable economic development. A significant portion of the discussion focused on how to write transportation into global climate policy and, conversely, how to write climate into regional and national transport policy.

The workshop was divided into a Vehicle Track and a Transport Track, which ran concurrently and featured three panels each. Each panel allowed for lively discussion after speaker presentations, which facilitated constructive brainstorming among the diverse participants about what APEC can do to address the related issues of transportation, energy, and climate change. At the closing plenary, the group came together to draft a list of recommended action items on transportation policy for consideration by the APEC Energy Working Group.

Specifically, the workshop participants noted the important role that energy efficient transport can and should play in the buildup to the climate negotiations at the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Conference of Parties (COP) 15 in Copenhagen (December 2009). For many economies, particularly the developing economies, an emphasis on the economic benefits and other co-benefits of energy efficient transport policy can help leaders overcome the perceived tradeoff between economic growth and adopting measures to cut emissions. For instance, reduced road congestion resulting from a modal shift from private-motorized transport to public transit – such as a bus rapid transit or subway system – significantly improves road safety, local air pollution, and economic productivity.

There was broad consensus among WPPEET participants that transit-oriented development, integrated land-use planning, and minimized private motorized transport are in most cases the ultimate goals for development. The “Avoid-Shift-Improve” framework proposed by the Asian Development Bank in its draft “Action Plan to Make Transport in Developing Countries More Climate-Friendly,” provides a succinct lens for evaluating transport policy: Comprehensive transportation policy would aim simultaneously to avoid travel, encourage a shift from motorized to non-motorized and low-carbon transport, and improve the efficiency of existing systems and vehicles. The WPPEET participants recommended the introduction of this framework into further discussions of APEC activities related to efficient transportation policy.

This report outlines the recommendations emerging from the presentations and discussions at WPPEET. The recommendations are divided into three categories, which the document addresses in turn:

1. Role for APEC – The workshop participants identified a potential role for APEC in supporting needed research into key areas related to energy efficiency in transportation, and acting as a clearinghouse of information on these issues. Specific recommendations included:
   • Studies to improve and fill gaps in information; and
   • Creation of a forum on energy-efficient transportation
2. Recommendations for Economies: Overcoming Barriers – The workshop also included discussions of the challenges, best practices and lessons learned that are emerging from case studies within the APEC economies. Within these discussions, the group identified common challenges that many economies face in integrating transportation policies with energy and planning policies. The second section of recommendations addresses how economies can overcome common challenges such as institutional barriers, the lack of reliable and comprehensive information, and the need to ensure effective education of policy-makers and the public.
3. Recommendations for Economies: Best Practices in Transport Policy – Lastly, the third section of the document lists specific policies that APEC economies should consider in addressing transportation energy efficiency. Mirroring the organization of the workshop, the policies are divided into two categories, each of which has three sub-topics. One category addresses the energy efficiency of vehicles, and the other addresses energy efficiency in the entire transport system and the promotion of alternatives to vehicle use.

The recommendations presented in this document will be expanded upon in the forthcoming updated Survey of Policies and Programs that Promote Fuel-Efficient Transport in APEC Economies.