Transport and Energy: The Challenge of Climate ChangeLeipzig Congress Centre |
 Anu VEHVILÄINEN Minister of Transport Finland |
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| The International Transport Forum was launched
by Transport Ministers to attract additional public and
political attention to the strategic importance of the transport
sector and the immense challenges it faces. Mobility is part of
the fabric of our modern societies to the extent that we often
take it for granted. But the issues at stake are in fact complex
and policy-makers and private stakeholders increasingly need to
work together to address them at all levels. Global warming and
transport is without doubt one of the most compelling such
challenges we face. It is a privilege for Finland to be the first country to preside over the International Transport Forum and its first annual meeting. On behalf of the Ministers of the Forum's 51 Member Countries, it gives me great pleasure to bring this important event to your attention. We hope to have the pleasure of seeing many of you in Leipzig. |
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 Wolfgang TIEFENSEE Minister of Transport Germany |
An efficient and innovative mobility sector that organizes
economically and ecologically efficient traffic flows and
processes is a key prerequisite for growth and employment. Our
prospects for the future are thus directly dependent on the
efficiency of the transport system. At the same time, greater
efficiency also means less energy consumption, thereby making a
contribution to the security of energy supply for transport and
reducing CO2 emissions from transport, especially when it is
combined with the use of new technologies. There is enormous
scope for greater efficiency in transport planning and
operations, and exchanging experience at an international level
is an excellent way to achieve these gains. Leipzig has for centuries been an economic hub and an important trade route. It is a particularly apt venue for the first meeting of the International Transport Forum, which is to be held from 28 to 30 May 2008. Invitations have been extended to prominent representatives from industry, civil society and the research community, creating the conditions for Leipzig to host a truly international "think tank" on energy and greenhouse gas emission strategies in the transport sector. |
 Jack SHORT Secretary General International Transport Forum |
Climate change and growing energy consumption are the
subject of increasing political attention worldwide. For
transport, finding the right balance between facilitating
access and exchanges and reducing transport emissions and
dependence on oil is perhaps the greatest challenge that
the sector has faced. The Forum provides a unique opportunity for sector leaders - both private and public - to chart the strategies and measures that will need to be put in place, nationally and internationally, if the sector is to contribute to the aim to reduce global emissions by around 50% over the next half century. Preparatory work, for example on instruments, alternative fuels and behaviour is providing new ideas and analyses on the options available and on their effectiveness and costs. This combination of key actors and up-to-date analysis provides the essential ingredients for the sector to set out an ambitious and responsible way forward. |
