In 2015, the world embraced a vision for sustainable development with the 2030 Agenda and its 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The SDGs declared that ‘business as usual’ can no longer deliver the future we need. A decade later, the Asia-Pacific region has made notable progress, but many of the SDGs remain off track to be achieved by 2030. Transport continues to hold immense potential to connect ambitions across the SDGs and shape a more inclusive and sustainable future up to and beyond this key date. As an enabler of development, it determines how people access opportunities, how goods move through economies and how societies interact with the environment. 

Respectively, these economic, social and environmental dimensions form the three pillars of sustainable development, yet transport captures the paradox at the heart of this very agenda: it holds many of the solutions while producing some of the region’s greatest challenges. Nowhere is this clearer than in the numbers. Every year, 700,000 people in Asia and the Pacific die in road accidents, with over 98 per cent of these in low- and middle-income countries. A further 2.2 million people die prematurely due to air pollution,  a stark reminder of a sector responsible for 23 per cent of global emissions, 41 per cent originating from Asia and the Pacific. Traffic congestion, meanwhile, leads to productivity losses equivalent to 2-5 per cent of GDP across Asia, and up to 10 per cent in cities such as Beijing.

Evidently, there is a compelling human and economic case for sustainable transport, and placing it at the centre of SDG implementation can unlock wider development gains. This becomes clear when looking at how transport links with the SDGs across several dimensions:

Catalyst for inclusive growth and decent work 

Reliable and affordable mobility systems are essential to reducing poverty (SDG 1) and promoting economic growth and decent work (SDG 8). In Jakarta, for example, the TransJakarta Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) network moves more than  one million passengers daily, cutting commute times by 30 per cent and saving low-income workers travel costs. In Nepal, the Department of Roads found that connecting major roads to rural communities made it easier for small farmers to transport their products to buyers and created millions of paid employment days for rural construction workers. Such investments advance innovation and infrastructure (SDG 9) while narrowing inequality between urban and rural areas (SDG 10).

Enabler of social inclusion and equity

Safe and inclusive transport advances health (SDG 3) by lowering the risk of road traffic injuries, expands access to education (SDG 4) and promotes gender equality (SDG 5). In Peshawar, Pakistan, the central focus of the Zu Pershwar BRT was to be inclusive and accessible for the most vulnerable populations. The introduction of separate waiting areas and seating for women, as well as step-free boarding and tactile paving for persons with disabilities, resulted in ridership for these groups rising to 20 per cent of daily passengers, up from only two per cent before the BRT. As a result, the system provides access for people typically excluded from opportunities in education, employment and civic life, which supports the achievement of broader social and economic objectives of the SDGs.

Accelerator of climate and environmental action 

Electric mobility offers a lever to align transport and energy systems with national climate goals. In Bhutan, where renewables account for 100 per cent of electricity capacity, electric vehicles (EV) support climate action (SDG 13) because the emissions from EVs are shifted from the vehicle to the power source. Even with fossil-fuel-intensive grids, the transition to EVs can catalyze investment in renewable infrastructure for these same reasons, promoting clean energy (SDG 7) as well as responsible production and consumption (SDG 12) by reducing oil import dependency. Low-carbon mobility contributes significantly to sustainable cities (SDG 11), and this is evident in places such as Shenzhen, China, where the electrification of the city’s 16,000 buses has reduced CO2 emissions by 194,000 tons annually.

To underscore these ties, the United Nations General Assembly adopted resolution 78/148 on “Strengthening the links between all modes of transport to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals”, proclaiming the period 2026–2035 as the United Nations Decade of Sustainable Transport. The Decade offers a timely opportunity to elevate the role of transport in the SDGs and to approach mobility as an enabler of economic, social and environmental benefits well beyond 2030. ESCAP is already supporting member States to move in this direction. Through regional platforms such as the Asia Pacific Initiative on Electric Mobility and the Regional Cooperation Mechanism on Sustainable and Low Carbon Transport, ESCAP supports shared analysis, coordinated policy development, and the exchange of practical solutions. Looking ahead, realizing the full potential of sustainable transport will depend on more coordinated action at all levels, and ESCAP will continue to lead regional efforts to drive this transformation across Asia and the Pacific.