Twelve More Asian Cities Sign Kyoto Declaration to Promote environmentally sustainable transport
BANGKOK, Thailand, November 14, 2008 – Twelve more Asian cities signed the Kyoto Declaration to promote environmentally sustainable transport in Asia during the Better Air Quality (BAQ) 2008 workshop in Bangkok.
The latest cities to endorse the campaign are Bangkok (Thailand), Baguio (Philippines), Cebu (Philippines), Colombo (Sri Lanka), Batam (Indonesia), Guwahati (India), Karachi (Pakistan), Kathmandu (Nepal), Makassar (Indonesia), Makati (Philippines), Palembang (Indonesia), and Surat (India).
They join the 22 mayors and senior government officials from 14 Asian countries who signed the Declaration in Kyoto, Japan, in April 2007 at the first “Asian Mayors’ Policy Dialogue for the Promotion of Environmentally Sustainable Transport in Cities.”
The campaign aims to achieve more synergies among national, local, and city authorities in enhance sustainability in the transport sector.
The signing in Bangkok was organized by the United Nations Centre for Regional Development (UNCRD), the Ministry of the Environment of the Government of Japan, and the Clean Air Initiative for Asian Cities (CAI-Asia).
The Declaration also aims to motivate Asian cities to demonstrate effective leadership and initiate concrete measures to make cities clean, green, and environment- and people-friendly through integrated environmentally sustainable transport strategies and measures.
Delivering the keynote address at the event, the Permanent Secretary of Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA), Dr. Pongsak Semson, flagged road transport as one of the main sources of greenhouse gas emissions, noting that “the large number of vehicles has had a severe impact on traffic congestion and air quality in Bangkok.” He added that “‘A Congestion-Free-City’ is one of the BMA’s top priorities.”
Thousands die prematurely in Asian cities every year due to the high level of suspended particulate matter which exceeds WHO standards.
The meeting noted that measures for environmentally sustainable transport would not only improve human health by reducing urban air pollution, but would have other important benefits, including the reduction of GHG emissions, deaths and injuries from road accidents, harmful noise levels, and traffic congestion.
“Asian cities are at critical juncture to pursue effective transport demand management policies and measures towards an environment-friendly and low carbon -Asian society rather than business-as-usual policies that favour motorization,” said UNCRD Environment Programme Coordinator, C.R.C Mohanty.
Signing the Kyoto Declaration, Ranjitbhai Mangubhai Gilitwala, Mayor of Surat city in India, said, “We need to promote people- and environment-friendly urban transport systems, keeping in mind the transport-sensitive groups – the poor, children, women, the elderly and the physically challenged.”
The Mayors and city representatives at the event expressed commitment to deal with critical issues in the environment and transport sectors through local measures.
CAI-Asia outgoing executive director, Cornie Huizenga said, “Cities have a unique role to play in addressing local air pollution and climate change mitigation in an integrated and co-beneficial way. A strong political commitment of city authorities to implement environmentally sustainable transport is crucial to achieve this.”
Media enquiries:
C.R.C. Mohanty, Environment Programme Coordinator, UNCRD, Japan environment@uncrd.or.jp or telephone + 81-52-561-9417
