The transport sector accounts for 23% of total energy related Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and is among the fastest developing sectors with an annual growth rate of 2% between 1990 and 2012. Moreover, the urban mobility demand is rising due to increased urbanization and change of lifestyles, which is a result of prioritizing personal automobiles through policy, planning and infrastructure. If the existing trend prevails, it is expected that the urban infrastructure has to be expanded by 129% in the next 40 years and seven times more investment will be needed to meet the increasing need for travel. Further, the impact on climate change will grow continuously if the infrastructure is developed in a conventional manner.

At the Forum, representatives of local governments showcased real examples of how implementing ecomobility strengthened their climate change mitigation strategy. The panel discussion looked into the possibilities for cities to increase the impact of ecomobility on climate change mitigation with special focus on various financial options to mobilize resources to materialize actions on ground.