13주차_교통과 환경_김해린

[21기 김해린]

Opening Remarks at Global Sustainable Transport Forum 2023

Speaker: António Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations

Date: September 26, 2023

word:408

https://www.un.org/en/desa-en/opening-remarks-global-sustainable-transport-forum-2023

glossary

1. the Global Sustainable Transport Forum: 글로벌 지속가능 교통 포럼

2. multiplier effects: 승수효과 or 파급효과

3. growing motorization 자동차 보급확대 

4. motorization rates 자동차 보급률
5. all-weather roads 전천후 도로(우기·폭우·눈 등 날씨와 상관없이 항상 이동 가능한 도로)

It is an honour and privilege for me to share these remarks with you today, at the Global Sustainable Transport Forum.

Transport is central to modern living, shaping the way we work, live, learn and do business.   

It undergirds economies and societies. 

It extends markets and allows for ever more economic specialization.

At the same time, it draws us closer together, connecting us across boundaries, borders, seas and oceans. 

The benefits of effective transport systems reach far beyond its immediate uses, with multiplier effects across education, health and economic productivity, among others. This is why transport investments have always been key elements of successful national development strategies. 

But transport has also come with negative side effects.

Environmental pollution, transport accidents and security are such examples. 

The key challenge of sustainable transport policy is to maximize the positive impacts while curtailing the negative ones. And the stakes are high.   

Last year alone, road accidents led to an estimated 1.4 million deaths and 50 million physical injuries and disabilities.

Road traffic injuries continue being the leading cause of death among young people aged 15 to 29, causing not only human suffering but also great economic burdens for the victims’ families and national economies.

Transport accounts for half of global oil demand and is responsible for a quarter of direct CO2 emissions from fossil fuel combustion worldwide.

Not surprisingly, emissions from transport have increased rapidly with development. 

But efforts to change course are underway.

The rapid uptake of electric vehicles is reducing transport’s dependency on oil and bringing stability to modern renewables. 

But even with this progress, great challenges remain. 

As the size of electric vehicles increases so too does the consumption of materials and power.

Concrete commitments and actions across industries and all modes of transport, as well as smart choices for infrastructure and vehicles will be needed. 

Growing motorization presents another key challenge, driven by growing populations and rapid urbanization. 

Motorization rates, particularly in cities, cause congestion, air pollution and affiliated health problems and productivity losses.

Today, urban areas are home to 55 per cent of the world’s population – by 2050 it will be 68 per cent. 

And only half of the world’s urban population has convenient access to public transport. 

Inefficient transportation infrastructure is also a point of concern.

Across the developing world, an estimated 1 billion people continue to lack access to all-weather roads, limiting access to decent work and crucial services like healthcare and education.