Last week, a UIC delegation was present in Baku, Azerbaijan for the 29th United Nations Climate Conference (COP29). Joined by UIC Chair and CEO of Polish State Railways, Dr Alan Beroud, UIC was present to have an impact on discussions and redirect the attendees’ focus towards railways as a proven decarbonisation strategy for the transport sector.
In close collaboration with UIC’s strategic partners, such as UITP, the PATH Coalition for Active Mobility and the SLOCAT partnership, UIC’s delegation was involved in more than ten events over three days, including two high-level ministerial meetings. UIC’s messages for COP29 centred around three key areas:
1) Enhance rail targets in NDCs 3.0
Last year’s UIC analysis of railways in Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) found that they are only mentioned in 25% of these, and only 10% include a specific action plan to strengthen railway development. In response, UIC has developed an NDC template, which serves as a guide for governments to include railway targets in their climate commitments. By using the template, governments are encouraged to acknowledge the potential of rail to reduce emissions, accelerating transport decarbonisation through ambitious rail targets in NDCs 3.0.
2) Rail in carbon markets
Transport carbon credit projects, particularly in the rail sector, have been underutilised since the Kyoto Protocol was established, despite their potential. The rail industry provides clear advantages in terms of a measurable and permanent reduction in emissions, making it an appealing option for carbon credit activities. At COP29, UIC advocated for the rail sector to be fully integrated into global carbon markets, reinforcing its role as a cornerstone of sustainable, climate-resilient transport systems. In parallel to this, UIC’s brand new report “Carbon markets and rail - How to overcome missed opportunities” was launched on COP29 Transport Day.
Read the new report at https://uic.org/events/IMG/pdf/carbon_credits_white_paper.pdf.
3) Resilient railways
Railways are being hit hard by the impact of climate change, and, therefore, to protect passengers and goods, the adaptive capacity of railway networks must be increased. To carry this critical message to international audiences and ensure that railways are incorporated into climate adaptation finance, UIC took its report “Future-proof railways” to COP.
Learn more about the challenges and solutions for climate adaptation in rail at https://uic.org/events/IMG/pdf/future_proof_railways.pdf.
Together with the PATH Coalition and the SLOCAT partnership, UIC organised the “Transforming Urban Mobility: Leveraging NDCs for Sustainable Transport and Climate Action” event. Through various animated panel discussions, the participants shared experiences and provided tangible steps on how to transition to a sustainable and integrated transport system, in which multimodality allows seamless connectivity between modes of public and active transport. Joined by the Minister of Transport and Telecommunications of Chile, Juan Carlos Muñoz, UIC presented its new NDC template, which alongside its partners’ templates, provides concrete guidance on how governments can include tangible railway targets to ensure a carbon-efficient transport network.
Read more about UIC’s NDC template for rail at https://uic.org/events/IMG/pdf/rail_ndc_template_v6.pdf.
At COP 29, UIC had the opportunity to speak at a high-level ministerial meeting “Sustainable and Digital Middle Corridors and Beyond”. In his address, Dr Beroud emphasised the critical role of rail in developing resilient and low-carbon freight supply chains through global corridors. He also stressed the urgency of decoupling international trade growth from transport emissions and advocated for increased investment in rail infrastructure to achieve decarbonisation and climate resilience.
Returning from COP29
With COP29, UIC has accessed a critical setting to give momentum to its sustainability advocacy. Having represented the railway industry in front of policymakers and stakeholders, the organisation has sent a clear message to governments, that railways are essential to modern, resilient sustainable transport systems.
Using its most recent reports, UIC’s delegation to COP29 has urged decision-makers to include railways as a climate solution in their Nationally Determined Contributions, to facilitate climate finance flows to rail projects, and to ensure that railway systems worldwide are protected against the pressing risks of climate change.
