Mayors of some of the world’s leading cities, along with union leaders, transport workers, transport authorities, and others at COP26, are calling on the world’s governments to prioritize long-term investment into public transportation as a way to combat climate change.
According to a study by the C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group (C40), a group of 97 cities around the world that represents a twelfth of the world’s population, and the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF), public transportation usage should double in global cities over the next decade in order meet 1.5 degree Celsius emissions targets.
“Cities from London to Jakarta are pioneering initiatives to increase access to improved public transport services,” Mark Watts, Executive Director, C40 Cities network, said. “They have to because people need an alternative to the car if cities are to rapidly reduce pollution from travel. In many cities, public transport ridership needs to double in the next decade. Yet mass transit is currently suffering because of the pandemic. If national governments do not back mayors and invest to protect and expand public transport, then they won’t be able to meet their own carbon targets. The time to invest in public transport is right now.”
In a statement released Tuesday in Glasgow by Steve Adler, Mayor of Austin, Texas, as well as ITF General Secretary Stephen Cotton; Secretary General of UITP Mohamed Mezghani and ITF Urban Transport Chair John Mark Mwanika and others, the group called on world leaders to provide safe, frequent, affordable and accessible public transportation within a 10-minute walk for everyone living in urban areas. Additionally, the group called for governments to include investment in public transportation as a priority in their national economic recovery plans, as well as in their climate plans.
The group estimated that governments need to invest $208 billion a year for the next 10 years to improve, expand and electrify public transportation in C40 cities.
San Francisco Mayor London Breed also signed the statement.
“Amid all the discussions at COP26 on the topic of electric vehicles, we can’t afford to forget the critical role public transport must and can play in hitting climate targets,” Mwanika said. “Increasing access to and availability of good quality public transport requires a fair and just transition. People who live and work in cities want better public transport, green jobs, and cleaner air. All levels of government must work together to unleash state funding over the next decade to achieve this and to create tens of millions of decent jobs worldwide.”