Partnership on Sustainable, Low Carbon Transport

The Partnership on Sustainable, Low Carbon Transport (SLoCaT) is a multi-stakeholder partnership of over 90 organizations seeking to promote the integration of sustainable transport in global policies on sustainable development and climate change. The partnership is focused on land transport in developing countries and includes both motorized and non-motorized freight and passenger transport. Geographically the partnership concentrates on developing countries, initially on Asia, Latin America and Africa.^[1]

Overview

SLoCaT was established in 2009 to provide a global voice on sustainable transport, guided by the Bellagio Declaration on Sustainable, Low Carbon Transport. The partnership represents UN organizations, multilateral and bilateral development organizations, NGOs and foundations, academe and the business sector.

SLoCaT is a Type II non-legal and non-binding partnership under the United Nations,^[2] hosted by the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN-DESA).^[1]

Scope and objectives

SLoCaT's overarching goal is to mobilize global support to promote sustainable, low carbon transport and thereby reduce the growth of GHG emissions generated by land transport in developing countries and maximize the contribution of transport to poverty eradication and sustainable development. The partnership has four specific objectives:

• The integration of sustainable, low carbon transport in climate negotiations, as well as national and local climate policies and programs,
• The integration of climate considerations in regional, national and local transport policies,
• Recognition of sustainable, low carbon transport as necessary in strategies and operations of international development organizations,
• Contribute to sustainable development, the millennium development goals as well as the post-2015 sustainable development goals by providing access to or for goods and services by lower income groups.^[1]

Work program

The activities of the SLoCaT Partnership are guided by the SLoCaT Work Program. The Work Program is developed by the SLoCaT Secretariat based on consultations with members of the Partnership. Following review by the SLoCaT Foundation Board, the Work Program is presented for discussion and sign-off at the Annual Meeting of the SLoCaT Partnership in January. The SLoCaT Foundation Board then approves a budget to implement the agreed upon Work Program. In 2015 international agreements are likely to be reached on sustainable development with the adoption of 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and on climate change through a new global agreement on climate change. Both agreements will provide a new impetus for sustainable, low carbon transport. After having realized an internal consensus in the transport and wider development community on the need for more sustainable, low carbon transport and realizing a convergence around the “Avoid-Shift-Improve” as the new paradigm for development of transport infrastructure and services, the emphasis of the SLoCaT Partnership was shifted to bringing the wider development community on-board and promote the rapid scaling up of sustainable, low carbon transport solutions in 2014.

Starting from July 2015, the SLoCaT Partnership has officially started implementing the Work Program for 2015-2016, which was approved by the SLoCaT Board of Directors at the June Board Meeting. In 2015-2016, the SLoCaT Work Program will continue to be composed of five work streams:

• Sustainable Transport
• Transport & Climate Change
• Financing Framework on Sustainable Transport
• Transport and Poverty
• Rural Transport^[3]

Activities of the SLoCaT Partnership in the coming 12 months will move beyond advocacy on the integration of sustainable, low carbon transport in global policies to include greater emphasis on ensuring that the Means of Implementation being developed for the new 2015 global agreements on sustainable development and climate change. The 2015-2016 Work Program also includes a set of performance targets that will be used to monitor the outputs of the SLoCaT Partnership.

SLoCaT Members

SLoCaT Partnership currently has more than 90 members from around the world. These members represent different stakeholders in sustainable transport including UN organizations, Multilateral and Bilateral development organizations, NGOs and Foundations, Academe and the Business Sector. Member Organizations endorse the mandate of SLoCaT Partnership, which is the integration of Sustainable, Low Carbon Transport in global discussions on sustainable development and climate change and in policies and investments of developing countries and cities. The organizations must work on the issues at the global, regional or national level.

SLoCaT Foundation

The SLoCaT Foundation (officially “Stichting Partnership on Sustainable, Low Carbon Transport (SLoCaT) Foundation”) was established in August 2014 in The Hague, the Netherlands to enable, facilitate and support the SLoCaT Partnership in promoting sustainable, low carbon transport. The functioning of the SLoCaT Foundation is overseen by a nine-person board of directors. Five board members represent the SLoCaT Partnership, while four others represent the supporters of the SLoCaT Foundation. The board is chaired by Michael Replogle, Deputy Commissioner for Policy at New York City Department of Transportation and Founder of the Institute for Transportation and Development Policy (ITDP)^[4] and Alain Flausch, Secretary General of the International Association for Public Transport^[5] serves as the Treasurer of the board.^[6]

SLoCaT Supporters

The organizations who have committed to provide financial assistance to the SLoCaT Foundation are known as “Supporters of the SLoCaT Foundation.” The Supporters of the SLoCaT Foundation are classified in three categories;

• Diamond Supporters: Organizations that provide unrestricted funding of at least US$50,000 per year; or equivalent amount for events or projects included in the SLoCaT Foundation’s Annual Business Plan over a 12-month period
• Platinum Supporters: Organizations that provide unrestricted funding of at least US$25,000 per year; or equivalent amount for events or projects included in the SLoCaT Foundation’s Annual Business Plan over a 12-month period
• Gold Supporters: Organizations that provide unrestricted funding of at least US$10,000 per year; or equivalent amount for events or projects included in the SLoCaT Foundation’s Annual Business Plan over a 12-month period.^[7]

References