Background
In 2023, the General Assembly declared the first ever United Nations Decade of Sustainable Transport to start in 2026.
While there is no single dedicated Sustainable Development Goal for transport, it is reflected in several SDG targets and recognized as an enabler for achieving many of the goals. Both the political appreciation of sustainable transport as well as our scientific understanding of transport’s linkages, both synergies and trade-offs, with issues such as resilient infrastructure development, food security, economic growth, trade, global supply chains, promotion of health, energy efficiency and tackling of climate change have greatly improved in the last years.
The United Nations Decade of Sustainable Transport will be an opportunity to further raise awareness of transport’s crucial role in advancing the Sustainable Development Goals and to gather and rally new solutions, resources and partnerships to advance sustainable transport globally.
Through the resolution A/78/148 titled “Strengthening the links between all modes of transport to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals” the Member States also requested the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs to develop an Implementation Plan for the UN Decade of Sustainable Transport, in collaboration with the UN Regional Commissions and in consultation with the Member States, the United Nations system and all other relevant stakeholders.
The Implementation Plan for the United Nations Decade of Sustainable Transport will be a critical tool in steering global efforts towards sustainable, inclusive, and resilient transportation systems. By fostering collaboration, mobilizing resources, and ensuring effective monitoring, the plan can shine a light on the critical importance of sustainable transport, contribute significantly to its achievement and to the attainment of several of the SDGs.
The Implementation Plan of the UN Decade of Sustainable Transport is expected to serve as a strategic framework to coordinate actions, mobilize resources, and monitor progress towards sustainable transport worldwide. The Implementation Plan is expected to be global and non-binding in nature, allowing for more detailed regional, national and local plans, strategies and ways of collaboration, as suitable.
At best, the Implementation Plan can provide a roadmap for accelerating the steps towards sustainable transport during the Decade, enhance coordination and collaboration among member States and other stakeholders, mobilize resources for sustainable transport projects at all levels, and increase awareness and capacity building on sustainable transport practices. The Implementation Plan can also provide global visibility for sustainable transport in SDG discussions and allow for improved monitoring and evaluation of progress towards sustainable transport goals and on transport’s contributions towards the SDGs.
Announcements
The Sustainable Transport Day at the 2024 United Nations Climate Change Conference in Baku, Azerbaijan, will focus on preparing for the UN Decade of Sustainable Transport (2026-2035). The event aims to highlight sustainable transport's role in achieving the SDGs and to generate inputs for the Decade’s Implementation Plan. The plan will address all transport modes—maritime, inland, and aviation—while aligning with broader SDG objectives, climate action, and poverty reduction.
Learn more about the event here: Sustainable Transport Day at the SDG Pavilion
The event is open to everyone. Register here: https://bit.ly/Zoom26Nov.
The webinar aims to share updated information about the UN Decade of Sustainable Transport and its associated Implementation Plan. It will be an opportunity to seek the views of stakeholders on the Implementation Plan, and to respond to questions from participants.
Learn more about the event here: Multi-stakeholder Webinar
UN DESA will be organizing a side event at the upcoming LLDC3 Conference in Gaborone, Botswana from 6:15-7:45 pm.
This online consultation aims to promote broad and participatory engagement for the UN Decade of Sustainable Transport. We invite everyone including non-governmental organizations, academic institutions, the private sector, and other stakeholders are invited to contribute their views.
Fill out the questionnaire here: bit.ly/SustainableTransportQuestionnaire. Find the PDF document containing all the questions from the questionnaire. (Please, note that only inputs received through the online questionnaire will be considered).
Deadline for submission is Friday 10 January 2025.
Learn more about the event here: Global Online Stakeholder Consultation
General Assembly
Concept Note
2025:
- Deadline to Submit Jan 10: Global Online Stakeholder Consultation on the UN Decade of Sustainable Transport (2026-2035)
2024
- April 24: High-level thematic event on Sustainable Transport
- July 11: Implementing the UN Decade of Sustainable Transport | HLPF 2024 Side Event
- Nov 19: Sustainable Transport Day at the SDG Pavilion
- Nov 26: Multi-stakeholder Webinar on the UN Decade of Sustainable Transport (2026-2035)
- Dec 12: Side event at the LLDC3 Conference: UN Decade of Sustainable Transport (2026-2035) and the LLDCs
2023
Join Here:
Multi-Stakeholder Webinar (26 November 2024, 9:30AM, EST)
To encourage broad and inclusive engagement in the lead-up to the UN Decade of Sustainable Transport, UNDESA will organize a multi-stakeholder virtual webinar on 26 November 2024, from 9:30 – 10:45 (EST). During the webinar, updated information about the UN Decade of Sustainable Transport (2026-2035) and its associated Implementation Plan will be shared.
The webinar will take place on World Sustainable Transport Day, providing a global opportunity to raise awareness about the importance of sustainable transport.
For more information on the virtual multi-stakeholder webinar on 26 November, please visit this webpage to register: https://bit.ly/SustainableTransportWebinar26Nov.
Global Online Stakeholder Consultation
To ensure meaningful and substantive engagement of stakeholders in the preparations for the UN Decade of Sustainable Transport, non-governmental organizations, civil society organizations, academic institutions, the scientific community, the private sector, philanthropic organizations and other stakeholders are invited to contribute their views, comments and inputs to the implementation plan of the UN Decade of Sustainable Transport through a global online stakeholder consultation.
For more information on the global online stakeholder consultation please visit this webpage: https://bit.ly/SustainableTransportOnlineConsultation. Deadline for submissions: 10 January 2025.
To receive periodic updates about the UN Decade of Sustainable Transport, please sign up for the information mailing list here.
United Nations Regional Commissions will be holding regional consultations that will inform the development of the Implementation Plan of the UN Decade of Sustainable Transport.
ECA: 8th annual PIDA week (Programme for Infrastructure Development in Africa), Celebration of the UN World Sustainable Transport Day: Leapfrogging to Sustainable Transport in Africa – Digital transformation and the Global Decade on Sustainable Transport
ECE: Inland Transport Committee, 11-14 February 2025, Geneva, Switzerland, Regional consultation on 12th February
ESCAP: Eighth Session of the Committee on Transport, 5-7 November 2024, Bangkok. Meeting Link: https://www.unescap.org/events/2024/committee-transport-eighth-session
ESCWA: 25th session of the Committee on Transport and logistics 26-27 November 2024, Amman, Jordan. Meeting Link: https://www.unescwa.org/events/committee-transport-and-logistics-25th-session
ECLAC: More details coming.
GA Resolutions
- World Sustainable Transport Day (A/RES/77/286)
- World Bicycle Day (A/RES/72/272)
- Integration of mainstream bicycling into public transportation systems for sustainable development (A/RES/76/255)
- Role of transport and transit corridors in ensuring international cooperation for sustainable development (A/RES/69/213)
- Towards comprehensive cooperation among all modes of transport for promoting sustainable multimodal transit corridors (A/RES/70/197)
- Strengthening the links between all modes of transport to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (A/RES/72/212)
- Strengthening the links between all modes of transport to ensure stable and reliable international transport for sustainable development during and after the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic (A/RES/75/313)
