Transport is critical for 'green growth'

In a keynote speech at the XXIVth World Road Congress in Mexico yesterday, Carole Coune, secretary general of the International Transport Forum at the OECD, stressesd the role of transport for environmentally responsible development.Coune, who assumed office as the International Transport Forum's secretary general in August, said, "Transport is a critical factor in delivering green growth.
April 30, 2012 Read time: 2 mins
In a keynote speech at the XXIVth World Road Congress in Mexico yesterday, Carole Coune, secretary general of the 1102 International Transport Forum at the OECD, stressesd the role of transport for environmentally responsible development.Coune, who assumed office as the International Transport Forum's secretary general in August, said, "Transport is a critical factor in delivering green growth. The sector has to innovate to cut its environmental footprint, and new transport industries and transport infrastructure investment will be motors for growth after the crisis.Fast growing economies in Latin America and in Asia will determine in large part how transport's environmental footprint will evolve."Transport infrastructure investments figure large in economic recovery programs because of the number of jobs they create. But understanding which projects are most likely to generate growth in the long term, beyond the construction phase, is critical to making the best use of severely limited public funds," Coune said."It has a lot to do with freeing up constraints in the existing transport system that act as a brake on innovation and business development. It has alot to do with making urban areas more rapidly accessible from major entry points: airports, rail and bus hubs. It is about connecting workers and potential workers to employers," Coune told delegates to the XXIVth World Road Congress. She added that this is something transport Ministers will discuss in depth at the International Transport Forum's annual summit in Leipzig, Germany, in May 2012.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • America: on the brink of better road asset management
    February 23, 2015
    It’s make or break time for highways maintenance in the United States, according to Greg Cohen, head of the American Highways Users’ Alliance, speaking at the Pavement Preservation and Recycling Summit in Paris today. What happens in the next year will make the difference between a decade of continuing crumbling road infrastructure or a renaissance in America’s highways, he told delegates attending the first day’s afternoon plenary session. All state governments must submit a road asset management plan to t
    Read More
  • Asphalt and bitumen congress attracting strong interest
    April 24, 2012
    Strong interest is being shown in the coming Eurasphalt & Eurobitume Congress. Pavement durability and reduced temperature asphalt technologies are key topics of the Eurasphalt & Eurobitume Congress 2012, to be held this June in Istanbul from 13th-15th June 2012. This fifth Eurasphalt & Eurobitume Congress (E&E 2012) already has a strong line-up of speakers and delegates, with the programme being fine-tuned to meet expectations. Over 800 delegates are expected to attend the event, which will provide detaile
    Read More
  • Conference highlights Mexico's highway investment
    February 27, 2012
    At the recent PIARC World Road Conference in Mexico City the country’s president, Felipe Calderon, made a keynote opening address. Calderon emphasised that infrastructure investment and expansion forms a crucial component in the country’s future economy and as such, has been a priority for his administration. Calderon took office in 2006 and by the end of this year Mexico will have built or rebuilt some 19,000km of roads and highways in the country. Due to its proximity to the US, Mexico is highly dependen
    Read More
  • Developments in hybrid vehicles
    February 27, 2012
    There is an array of future vehicle solutions in development - Mike Woof reports. Ever since Henry Ford's Model T showed that the motor car could provide transport for ordinary people rather than being an exclusive toy of the rich, vehicle numbers have exploded. In every country around the world, vehicle ownership continues to grow.
    Read More

Highlighted Content