Guyana Tuesday called on the international community to take “honorable” actions in this decade towards implementing the global plan for sustainable inland transport.
Public Works Minister, Bishop Juan Anthony Edghill, addressing the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) Inland Transport Committee (ITC) here, said that every stakeholder including and especially all governments and multilateral institutions “must leverage our strengths and influences and take honorable actions in this decade that will have a lasting positive impact on the macro-economic stability of our livelihoods today and for generations to come.”
He told the Committee, which is observing its 75th anniversary with the theme “Ushering in a decade of delivery for sustainable inland transport and sustainable development,” that while he is applauding the work of the ITC over the years to promote sustainable development in transport “it is precisely why we are here this week to engage in dialogue and exchange ideas, as well as later …firmly commit through the signing of the Ministerial Resolution to move along the spectrum from words to firm actions”.
He said the transport sector is one of the significant contributors to carbon dioxide emissions and a critical energy consumer.
“Therefore, to assess transport sector sustainability, it is necessary to assess its trends and projections concerning carbon emissions and energy use,” Edghill said, noting that critical issues that affect Latin America and the Caribbean are the rapid expansion of vehicular fleets, particularly of vehicles used for personal transportation, at a time when the roadway network has not kept pace with that expansion.
“For the governments of many cities, this has made mobility both a challenge as well as a high-priority issue in terms of comfort, transit times, and air pollution. This is acutely prevalent in Latin America,” he said, adding that another evident trend is the rising use of diesel fuel by automobiles, primarily because the price of diesel is usually lower than gasoline and because there is increased usage of sport utility vehicles – many of which are diesel-fueled.
Edghill said that the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic had provided global transport challenges, and he does not doubt that “if we deliver a coordinated and sustained response to the global challenges of inland transport like we did in our efforts to combat COVID-19 then at the end of this decade, history will judge us with favorable consideration”.
He said as a cross-cutting sector, transport plays a vital role in efforts towards achieving the 2030 sustainable development goals (SDG)
“In addition to their value and job creation, inland transport systems should be considered partly as enablers of sustainable development. Therefore, integrated approaches to policymaking are imperative, including planning for land use, infrastructure development, public transport systems, and goods’ delivery networks for the provision of affordable, efficient, safe, and secure transport, improving energy efficiency, and at the same time reducing pollution and congestion.”
Edghill said that transport is the metal reinforcement that holds the supply chain together and that every step of the process is connected through transportation.
“It is transportation that moves raw materials from deposits where they are extracted, to the place where they are manufactured, to the distributors, and finally to the consumers. If we do not have an economically stable transport plan in place, a lot of money is lost, diminishing our competitive advantage.
“Further, the lack of such a plan transfers higher costs to consumers and substantially increases the cost of living. We are currently seeing the effects of this trend with rising costs driving more and more communities into deeper poverty.”
He told the conference of a situation in Guyana, where a significant manufacturer imports a “small but significant component” of its propone gas business from Italy.
“What was explained to this company by its Italian supplier is that the factory has not been receiving the raw materials from their supplier for many months because of challenges brought on by the pandemic.
“No work at the factory meant none of their long-serving and dedicated workers could be paid. Eventually, they decided to repurpose their business to manufacture pandemic-related goods currently in market demand. Meanwhile, in Guyana, the local manufacturer of propane gas is forced to source more defective components from a more expensive source, and then pass on the costs to the thousands of households who depend on propane gas to prepare every meal.”
Edghill said that stories like this one are being told everywhere across the globe, and there is no doubt that “we must do more to reverse the tide.
“Therefore, our collective and sustained efforts as governments and multilateral institutions must be to craft transport policies and allocate the financial and other resources in the most appropriate areas to stem or reduce these effects on our global existence.”
Edghill said that he is using the occasion today “to add my voice and our country’s commitment to supporting the global efforts to combat the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic that threatens our individual and collective livelihoods”.
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