Already today, the transport sector is responsible for a quarter of all energy related carbon dioxide emissions. In the future, CO2 emissions from transport will continue to rise rapidly unless ambitious actions are taken. Most of the increase in CO2 emissions from transport will stem from emerging and developing countries due to the rapidly growing number of cars and declining shares of more efficient modes of transport, such as public transport and non-motorised modes. Thus, in these countries there is a strong need for suitable technologies and measures for the reduction of energy consumption and CO2 emissions.
The concept of Nationally Appropriate Mitigation Actions (NAMAs) provides new opportunities to support developing countries in their mitigation efforts in the transport sector. NAMAs are voluntary emission reduction measures by developing countries that are undertaken unilaterally by these countries or that obtain support from developed countries. The concept originated from the UN Climate Change Conference in Bali in 2007 and was confirmed by the Copenhagen Accord and the Cancun Agreements, in 2010.
The project TRANSfer carried out by the German Society for International Cooperation (GIZ) aims at supporting decision-makers in developing countries in developing and implementing emission mitigation measures in the transport sector within the NAMAs framework. With support from international experts, reductions potentials are to be identified in selected pilot countries (currently South Africa, Columbia and Indonesia); strategies for a clean, safe, efficient and affordable transport system are to developed and mitigation measures are to be planned and registered as NAMA.
The Wuppertal Institute assists the GIZ in the implementation of the project and develops relevant information on climate policy and transport policy for stakeholders in developing and emerging countries.
In the start up phase, the Wuppertal Institute especially supports the inception of the South Africa case study. Furthermore, the Wuppertal Institute contributes to a toolbox. So far detailed information on measures and technologies for climate friendly transport were compiled as the basis for the development of transport NAMAs. On behalf of the GIZ, the Wuppertal Institute also develops a handbook on "Navigating Transport NAMAs" to provide guidance for local decision-makers on the identification, design, registration and implementation of transport NAMAs.