Urban Mobility is a vehicle for global transformation and progress towards the SDGs. From the air we breathe to how we conduct our morning commutes, our relationship with our cities and life within urban hubs is constantly redefined through the changing modes of transport networks. However, the role of urban mobility goes far beyond getting us from point A to point B. City infrastructure and transport sectors present an opportunity to address some of the world’s most pressing challenges.

UN leaders from around the world are gathering in New York City this month at the High-Level Political Forum (HLPF) on Sustainable Development to discuss progress on the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). I cannot help but think about how our progress toward the SDGs is currently reflected in cities globally and the tangible impact urban mobility has on our capacity to continue to advance toward the goals.

The City and its Ecosystem of Leaders, Industries, and Citizens

Today according to the International Energy Agency (IEA), cities account for 80% of global GDP, two-thirds of global energy consumption, and more than 70% of annual global carbon emissions. Over half of the world’s population lives in urban areas and this is expected to increase to 68% by 2050. Cities underlie our progress toward the SDGs, and the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) predicts that 65% of SDG targets won’t be achieved without proper engagement with municipal and regional actors.

City leaders, together with transport authorities, play a critical role in the development of accessible, affordable, and efficient mobility infrastructure and services. For example, the European Commission's 100 Climate-Neutral and Smart Cities scheme has signed on more than 100 European cities that have pledged to become climate-neutral by 2030. Besides conceiving, designing, and funding these mobility transformations, such public authority initiatives offer a platform for collaboration. The C40 Cities global network of mayors engages with over 10,000 businesses to capture value from public-private sector partnerships.

Various authorities, including the International Transport Forum at the OECD, have acknowledged that active participation of the broader urban ecosystem is required to achieve climate-neutral municipal transport, and this is further highlighted by this year’s HLPF’s focus on SDG 17 (Partnerships). Transportation, energy, manufacturing, and technology sectors drive construction, power infrastructure, and capitalize on advances in disruptive technologies. Naturally, in addition to multi-sector collaboration, a multi-stakeholder approach including citizens — who use public transport, purchase vehicles, and participate in the sharing economy — will be key to facilitating sustainable demand that will guarantee uptake, help finance upfront investments in urban mobility, and derive SDG-related benefits.

Driving Environmental and Societal Progress through Urban Mobility Solutions

As a sustainability professional, I am conscious of the intersections and synergies across the SDGs. In the context of urban mobility, the intersection of environmental and societal benefits becomes apparent through SDGs 7 (Affordable and clean energy) and 13 (Climate action), and SDGs 5 (Gender equality) — which is also a focus at this year's HLPF — and 8 (Decent work and economic growth).

During the recent pandemic-related lockdowns, where we witnessed improvements in air quality and traffic congestion in cities across the globe, I had the opportunity to work with the World Economic Forum on developing the System Value Framework, exploring cities in developed and developing markets. The analysis highlighted that government support to decarbonise Europe’s cities by transitioning to electrified transport has the potential to deliver approximately 64 metric tonnes of CO2 emission reductions, € 5 billion in human health benefits through reduced air pollution, and create just under 200,000 incremental jobs in 2030. The strategy entails increased investing in EV charging infrastructure and supporting smart charging mechanisms to unlock value from grid flexibility.

Beyond transport electrification, we are already seeing signs of these types of city transformations becoming a reality. These include metropolitan hubs such as Barcelona’s “superblocks”, investment in hydrogen buses and a pandemic-triggered expansion of cycling infrastructure. Through examples such as Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo’s instrumental role in developing the “15-minute cities” vision, and Shenzhen’s innovative policies driving EV adoption, which I witnessed while attending the 2019 UNLEASH innovation lab on the SDGs, it is increasingly apparent that municipal governments play a critical role as catalysts for change. Cities offer enormous opportunity for innovation and can serve as testbeds for experimentation, which is particularly relevant in the context of the SDGs. Many municipal and regional actors have taken notice.

Nevertheless, the solutions that are unveiling in London or Paris cannot be replicated for the majority of the population around the world, particularly in developing economies. While the use cases may be similar, the challenges to solve are different. When it comes to public transport, newly developing cities face issues around population density, sparse transport links, and the need to travel long distances to arrive to employment hubs.

In regard to gender equality and economic inclusion, women and girls often face inadequate or no access to reliable, safe modes of public transport. Significant levels of harassment and violence against women are reported across transport systems globally. Safety provisions are critical to enabling women to travel freely, access work, and become financially independent. These issues rise to the top in cities with total populations of over 20 million. In countries around the world, I have experienced first-hand the feeling of unease when traveling alone at night on public transport. And while initiatives such as female-only carriages on trains provide a level of comfort, I am acutely aware of the progress that needs to be made to improve gender inclusiveness and safety across multimodal city transport.

Moving Forward

In this decisive decade, we require a transformative change in cities of all sizes and stages of development. While successful initiatives today demonstrate potential for replication, it is key to acknowledge the need to adapt to cultural, environmental, and economic nuances in order to deliver equitable climate action and societal progress.

We have less than 2,000 working days to achieve the targets set out in the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. As microcosms of these global challenges, cities are catalysts for change. From national and municipal government policies and initiatives, to benefits derived from multi-sector partnerships, it is evident that actors across the board need to come together. As end-users of urban mobility solutions, it is also up to us to demand action from our leaders and to demonstrate support for SDG-aligned mobility investments in the cities we call home.

About the Author:

Chhavi Maggu, MEng, SEP
Sustainability Strategy Manager at Accenture
ISSP Governing Board Treasurer

Photo Credit:

Pradamas Gifarry | Jakarta | Unsplash