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NGOs: Moekti-Soejachnoen, Sustainable Transport Action Network for Asia and Pacific, Indonesia, raised the issue of alternative transport support for mobility via headloading and walking, recommending meeting accessibility needs through footpaths and footbridges as well as human-powered vehicles, not airports and roads. She stressed including end-users in the decision-making process and the need for education and information sharing as part of new transport planning.

Jutta Steigerwald, World Council of Churches, Switzerland, called for socially equitable and environmentally sustainable transport, reduction in car dependency and associated poor air and noise quality, stressing that public health should not be compromised by transport policy.

Local Authorities: Mary Ann Smith, Alderwoman, Chicago, Illinois, US, recommended that: local governments be given the authority and support to implement land-use policies that reduce travel demand and improve urban planning, and all levels of transport investment focus on reducing transport demand.

Not Pictured: Claudia Sheinbaum-Pardo, Commissioner, Abuja Municipal Area Council, Nigeria, noted that the rapid growth of communities in developing countries such as Nigeria calls for building in energy efficiency and land use planning, including the user-pays principle and true cost of vehicle use.

In the ensuing discussion, Japan cited local successes in improving fuel efficiency and recommended developing lower polluting vehicles, infrastructure to reduce traffic congestion, and a shift to rail and sea transport.

Magdy Youssef, Maroochy Shire Council, Australia (right)

Ian Johnson, Vice President, World Bank, Mr. Sutiyoso, Governor of Jakara, Indonesia, Milos Kuzvart, Minister of Environment, Czech Republic, Syda Bbumba, Minister of Energy and Mineral Development, Uganda, Nitin Desai, Under Secretary General for Economic and Social Affairs, Mohammed El-Ashry, CEO, Global Environment Facility (GEF), Mohammed Yunus, Managing Director, Grameen Bank, Bangladesh, Mark Moody-Stuart, Chairman, Royal Dutch/Shell Group of Companies, UK, and Rolf Hedberg, Regional Director for the Americas, Scania Buses and Coaches, Sweden

 

Panel moderator Nitin Desai, Under Secretary General for Economic and Social Affairs, said transport for mass transit needed attention by the ministers because policies support mass transit, but financial policies dictate otherwise. He also underlined the importance of rural electrification, roads and education poverty eradication.

Mohammed El-Ashry, Chief Executive Officer, GEF, highlighted five of the 155 clean energy projects it is supporting, which include the establishment of five commercial funds, credit to rural banks and support for the development of fuel cell buses.

Ian Johnson, Vice President and Network Head, Environmentally and Socially Sustainable Development, explained the Bank's funding shifts in energy and transport and the reasons for declining energy lending and the new support to finance maintenance and road rehabilitation; said a future growth area would be in sustainable rural development and infrastructure for rural development; and noted that country assessment and poverty reduction strategies drive financing.

Mohammed Yunus, Managing Director, Grameen Bank, Bangladesh, said information technology, renewable energy and micro credit put together produce synergy and elaborated the use of micro-credit to fund rural solar and solar-powered mobile phones. He stressed the need for research and development to lower costs of solar technology and make wind energy viable.

Mr. Sutiyoso, Governor of Jakara, Indonesia, emphasized the importance of public transportation systems and expressed concern with securing appropriate financing mechanisms.

Milos Kuzvart, Minister of Environment, Czech Republic, identified various barriers to financing sustainable energy including: conditionalities imposed by multilateral financing institutions; risk aversion of commercial banks; high upfront costs associated with renewables; and the high interest rates of micro-financiers.

Syda Bbumba, Minister of Energy and Mineral Development, Uganda, highlighted the need to ensure sustainable transport systems through: appropriate financing mechanisms; improving pedestrian and bicycle routes; establishing public-private partnerships; applying the polluter pays principle; ensuring appropriate land-use planning; and applying cost benefit analysis.

Sir Mark Moody-Stuart, Chairman, Royal Dutch/Shell Group of Companies, UK, explained the rationale for and types of projects Shell finances from shareholders, loans, export credit financing and its foundation, and highlighted the types of projects that face funding constraints, including where rural areas and power demand is low, upfront costs are high, and for renewable technologies.

Rolf Hedberg, Regional Director for the Americas, Scania Buses and Coaches, Sweden, descried the firms operations, its maintenance, management and financial support to bus operators, and requirements from customers, which include information regarding relevant national policy stability.