Report: Climate Goals Impossible Unless Sustainable Transport Claims 40 Percent of Mode Share
City residents must massively increase the percentage of journeys they take on public transportation and using active modes within 10 years if the world is going to meet its climate targets, a new report argues — but federal governments aren’t stepping up to make it happen.
The new study delivered to climate leaders at COP26 this week showed that city residents worldwide need to choose modes like walking, biking and transit for at least 40 percent of the miles they travel by 2030 in order to prevent global heating from exceeding the 1.5°-degree (Celsius) threshold and avert the worst effects of climate change — in addition to aggressive efforts to electrify as many cars on the road as possible.
And higher density/better transit cities, like London and New York, must increase their active/transit mode share percentage to closer to 80 percent — a daunting task that researchers warn will require not just robust transit investment, but also comprehensively reimagining global communities to put everything residents might need within easy transit distance.