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  BBC 14 Dec 06
Asia's greenhouse gas 'to treble'

Yahoo News 14 Dec 06
Newly rich Asians to treble greenhouse gas emissions in 25 years: study

PlanetArk 15 Dec 06
Asia's CO2 Emissions from Transport to Triple - ADB

MANILA - Soaring car sales will drive a tripling of carbon dioxide emissions in Asia from transport over the next 25 years, according to a study released on Thursday by the Asian Development Bank.

The number of cars and SUVs in the People's Republic of China could grow to as much as 15 times present levels over the next 30 years to more than 190 million vehicles, said the report, "Energy Efficiency and Climate Change: Considerations for On-Road Transport in Asia".

In India, the growth could be as much as 13 times, the report said, adding that carbon dioxide emissions from road transport could be expected to rise by 3.4 times for China and 5.8 times for India over the same period.

Air pollution and congestion from transport would also rise to levels that seriously hamper the movement of people and goods, said the report released to coincide with a regional meeting on air quality this week in the Indonesian city of Yogyakarta.

UN figures show China is already the world's second largest emitter of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide after the United States. India is the fourth largest and Japan is fifth.

The report said the widespread use of motorcycles in many countries in emerging Asia was likely to change as rising incomes and expanding urban populations led to an explosion in car sales.

But it was this very combination of accelerating incomes, urban growth and expanding vehicle ownership which, if left unchecked, risked limiting the prosperity of Asian economies and cities, the report said.

It said a change in vision was needed for the transport sector that took into account local air pollution, congestion, energy efficiency and climate change implications.

Yahoo News 14 Dec 06
Newly rich Asians to treble greenhouse gas emissions in 25 years: study

Fast-rising family incomes and brisk demand for cars will treble Asia's greenhouse gas emissions over the next 25 years, according to a study backed by the Asian Development Bank.

The report, "Energy Efficiency and Climate Change: Considerations for On-Road Transport in Asia," presents one of the first comprehensive analyses of the relationships between transport and climate change in Asia, Philippines-based ADB said in a statement. Even under the most optimistic current scenarios for road traffic expansion management, emissions of the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide from the Asian transport sector will treble over the next 25 years, the study said.

At the same time, local air pollution and congestion from transport will rise to levels that seriously hamper the ability to move people and goods in an effective manner, it added.

Emerging Asia currently has rather low levels of personal motorized transport, in many cases comprising mainly motorcycles, the bank said. But these levels are likely to increase drastically as incomes in these countries grow and the urban population expands, it added.

It cited fast-growing China, already the world's fourth largest economy, where the number of cars and sport utility vehicles could grow by as much as 15 times the present level over the next 30 years to more than 190 million vehicles. In India, the growth could be as much as 13 times, it added.

Correspondingly, carbon dioxide emissions from these vehicles could be expected to rise by 3.4 times for China and 5.8 times for India over the same period, the study said.

"Progress toward reducing the growth of greenhouse gases from the transport sector will require partnerships and involvement of a wide range of stakeholders," Bindu Lohani, director-general of ADB's sustainable development department, wrote in its foreword.

Addressing these problems effectively would mean "changing existing travel behavior patterns and modifying urban development patterns to minimize the type, length, and frequency of trips that people need to take," he added. The book was prepared under the Clean Air Initiative for Asian Cities with support from ADB.

BBC 14 Dec 06
Asia's greenhouse gas 'to treble'

Asia's greenhouse gas emissions will treble over the next 25 years, according to a report commissioned by the Asian Development Bank (ADB).

The report provides detailed analysis of the link between transport and climate change in Asia. It says that its estimate of future levels of greenhouse gas could even be an optimistic assessment. Air pollution and congestion will seriously hamper the ability to move people and goods effectively, it warns.

'Partnerships required'

The report, Energy Efficiency and Climate Change: Considerations for On-Road Transport in Asia, says that Asia currently has low levels of personal motorized transport, which in many cases are motorcycles. But it says that these levels are likely to increase significantly as incomes in these countries grows and the urban population becomes bigger.

The report points out that China is already the world's fourth largest economy, and the number of cars and utility vehicles could increase by 15 times more than present levels to more than 190 million vehicles over the next 30 years.

In India, traffic growth is likely to increase by similar levels over the same time period, the report says. Carbon dioxide emissions from vehicles could rise 3.4 times for China and 5.8 times for India.

"Progress toward reducing the growth of greenhouse gases from the transport sector will require partnerships and involvement of a wide range of stakeholders," Bindu Lohani, director-general of the ADB's sustainable development department, wrote in the foreword to the report.

He said that addressing these problems would mean "changing existing travel behaviour patterns and modifying urban development patterns to minimize the type, length, and frequency of trips that people need to take".

Last month, the British Foreign Secretary Margaret Beckett urged India to help in efforts to tackle climate change. She made the call ahead of a report commissioned by the British government which said that rich nations must act now to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

'Costing cities'

Meanwhile a conference in Indonesia has heard that while some Asian governments should be praised for toughening vehicle emissions standards, with many phasing out leaded gasoline, much work still needs to be done.

"Transport is growing faster in most cities so transport emissions are a big part of the problem," Lew Fulton, a transport expert with the UN Environmental Programme, told the three-day Better Air Quality Conference 2006 in the city of Yogyakarta.

"We're not only seeing increases in pollutant emissions. We're seeing huge increases in fuel consumption which is coupled tightly with (carbon dioxide) emissions," he said. "It's costing cities and countries ever increasing amounts of foreign exchange with the high oil prices that we've got."

The World Health Organization said increased pollution in Asia is estimated to cause as many as 537,000 premature deaths each year, as well as a rise in cardiopulmonary and respiratory illnesses.
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