Leipzig Transport Summit - International Transport Forum 2023 Annual Summit

A Brief Overview of the International Transport Forum (ITF)

The ITF is a global body committed to fostering international cooperation and policy dialogue in the transportation sector.

• The ITF was established in 2006 as a forum for governments, industry stakeholders, and experts to address the multifaceted challenges in the transportation sector.
• The ITF organizes the annual summit of transport ministers. The 2023 annual summit, which saw participation from policymakers, business leaders, civil society organisations, and researchers from over 80 countries, was hosted in Leipzig.
• While the ITF is administratively integrated with the OECD , it maintains its political autonomy.
• The ITF published the ITF Transport Outlook 2023 report, the key points and findings of which are discussed in the subsequent sections.

Decarbonising Transport:

• The ITF is focusing on investing in public transport infrastructure and policies that support the transition to transportation modes with higher occupancy or load factors, and more compact cities.

Key Highlights of the ITF Transport Outlook 2023 Report

• The Critical Role of Decarbonisation:
  • Decarbonising the transportation sector is vital to achieving the objectives of the 2015 Paris Agreement.
  • It can contribute to limiting the global temperature increase to “well below” 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels.
• The Need for a Blend of Policies:
  • The ITF Transport Outlook 2023 report underlines the need for a mix of policies to encourage sustainable transportation choices.
  • Different situations call for different policies to support the shift to transportation modes with higher occupancy and more compact cities.
• Potential Cost Savings and Infrastructure Investments:
  • Implementing decarbonisation measures could potentially save governments $4 trillion globally on road maintenance and investment.
  • As per ITF projections, realising high-ambition decarbonisation scenarios would require about 5% less investment in core infrastructure compared to current policies.
• Decrease in CO2 Emissions:
  • The transport sector can potentially reduce its CO2 emissions by approximately 80% over the next 25 years (compared to 2019) by intensifying and accelerating decarbonisation efforts.
  • This significant reduction in emissions aligns with the goal of limiting global temperature increase.
• Complementary Policies for High-Ambition Scenario:
  • Achieving the high-ambition scenario necessitates a combination of policies that reduce unnecessary transport activity, shift trips to no-carbon transport, and improve transport efficiency.
  • It is essential to scale up cost-competitive technologies and fuels to achieve significant emission reductions.

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