Ministers’ Forum at the Global Sustainable Transport Forum (GSTF) 2024
Doha, Qatar: Minister of Transport H E Jassim Saif Ahmed Al Sulaiti attended the Ministers’ Forum at the Global Sustainable Transport Forum (GSTF) 2024 which opened yesterday in Beijing in attendance of several Arab and foreign ministers.
Addressing the Forum, themed ‘Global Governance - Fostering a Global Sustainable Transport Partnership’, Al Sulaiti said there was a need to adopt an all-out vision for a sustainable mobility system that can balance between the requirements of the modern age and the environmental, social and economic considerations.
The transportation sector, he said, plays a pivotal role in enhancing the transition to sustainable transportation as they lay out the legal and regulatory frameworks that promote sustainable transportation, including developing and executing the policies and legislation that encourage the use of public transit system, investing in efficient and ecofriendly infrastructures, and setting out standards for carbon emissions from private vehicles.
Sustainable transportation needs new and innovative technologies, so it is necessary to encourage innovation and back research and development efforts in the industry by funding universities and research centres to explore sustainable transportation solutions, supporting the research that explore new technologies such as autonomous vehicles or innovate low-emission alternate fuel, the Minister said.
Al Sulaiti noted the need to conduct regular assessments of sustainable transportation policies and projects to see their successes and shortcomings and to ensure adaptation to the continuous changing needs of the society and technological advancement.
He stressed the importance of partnerships between governments and the private sector to promote sustainable transportation as private sector companies contribute to developing innovative solutions that help improve transportation efficiency.
The GSTF 2024 sees large participation from government representatives at the ministerial level, transportation and logistics industry leaders, regional and global organisation representatives, and high-profile CEOs of major transportation companies from around the world.
Themed ‘Sustainable Transport: Connecting the World through Logistics’, the GSTF’s key topics include the importance of enhancing and connecting world transportation systems, exchanging expertise and innovative technologies, fostering sustainability, reinforcing the efforts aimed at reducing carbon emissions, preserving the environment, and advancing global transportation cooperation to foster a transportation system that is safe, efficient, green, economical, inclusive, and resilient.
Addressing the Plenary Session of the Global Sustainable Transport Forum 2024, the Minister of Transport said that Qatar has to till date achieved 73% electrification in its public bus fleet, adding that sustainability is the cornerstone of the Transportation Master Plan for Qatar. Al Sulaiti said that those pivots are related to clean energy sources on public transportation, supporting transportation electrification, rolling out smart mobility and expressway projects along with their supportive infrastructures and laws, and managing the demand on land transportation, and other mobility technologies.
The goal, he said, is to achieve integration among all these elements and improve their networking, reduce traffic congestion, and protect the environment to leave behind a real legacy for current and coming generations.
