The Council for Decarbonising Transport in Asia said in a statement that the current fuel crisis exposed countries’ vulnerabilities due to fuel importation restrictions, resulting in economic repercussions that also affected public transport supply on the roads. It called for a shift towards more viable zero-carbon options in the wake of the current oil price crisis.
“Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has put Asian countries in jeopardy, causing inflation and another round of price increases for fuel products. The Philippines’ inflation rate at 5.4 percent is at its highest over three years. Oil prices soared by more than 6 percent in India, touching their highest since 2008. Vietnam’s petrol prices have reached a new record and marked its seventh price hike since April,” the council pointed out.
The 14-member council composed of experts in mobility and transportation said that the current fuel crisis should be incentivizing shifts in the transportation system.
“Now is the best time to act, and we expect carbon emissions from transport will increase in Asia by another 48 percent come 2050. A decarbonized transport industry is possible by mid-century if the mobility needs of all are met with zero-carbon options, integrating all modes seamlessly, efficiently and convenient,” the group said in its report.
It also touched on the importance of tackling freight to transform transport, integrating planning, and building on diverse mobility options, as it noted that solutions in freight are doable. The report also addressed blind spots in improving the sector, including rationalization of freight, passenger and cross-cutting concerns, citing politics and lack of coordination at the heart of inaction.
The council said that as urban development pressures planners to ensure safe, healthy and timely mobility options, they should first put forward inclusivity and equitability to ensure a just transition to zero-carbon options that will not disenfranchise marginalized sectors.
For decades, the country’s archaic public transportation and freight system has been in dire need of upgrades. As we get started on those long-awaited improvements, ensuring that it includes a much-needed transition towards a zero-carbon system should be critical because although we already know what needs to be done, it feels like it is our leaders that do not have the sense of urgency, as well as lack the ambition and the imagination to make a zero-carbon transition a reality as soon as possible.*
