The Inland Transport Committee (ITC) of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) adopted its Strategy on Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Inland Transport (ECE/TRANS/344, annex I) at its eight-sixth session (Geneva, 20-23 February 2024).
The Strategy pronounces ITC’s vision to take urgent action to assist its member States and Contracting Parties to United Nations legal instruments under its purview in achieving the aspirational goal of net zero greenhouse gas emissions from inland transport by 2050. ITC, as a UN platform for inland transport, provides a comprehensive regulatory framework for inland transport, comparable to the role of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).
The Strategy sets the mission to contribute to decarbonization of inland transport by its member States and Contracting Parties to United Nations legal instruments under ITC’s purview through enhanced regulatory support, intergovernmental policy dialogue, and increased coordination and partnership among all relevant stakeholders.
The Strategy provides strategic objectives for ITC and its subsidiary bodies, as well as the inland transport sector, and an initial climate action plan with milestones. It organizes the work on decarbonizing inland transport around a broad decarbonization framework that draws on avoid-shift-improve measures and also links it with making transport systems resilient (‘adapted’) to the risks of climate change.
With the decision to adopt the Strategy, ITC requested its subsidiary bodies to implement the initial ITC climate action plan and through it advance the implementation of the Strategy. The implementation of the Strategy will be pursued in close cooperation with partners, building on and enhancing existing partnerships with key stakeholders.