SA transport officials seek technical help in curbing carbon emissions

Deputy transport minister Lisa Mangcu and his Eastern Cape counterpart have called on other countries to lend technical expertise to help SA tackle pollution in the transport sector.

Mangcu attended the International Transport Forum (ITF) in Germany last week.

The ITF is an intergovernment organisation within the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and has 66 countries as members.

Mangcu was joined by Eastern Cape transport MEC Xolile Nqatha and a host of other SA transport officials.

He told The Herald that the benefits for SA from the summit included the acquisition of technical expertise to develop sustainable transport policies to address challenges in the sector.

“We focused on the role of transport in enhancing social welfare, providing benefits to society, and promoting inclusion while minimising traffic congestion, and air and maritime pollution,” he said.

The deputy minister said the challenges caused by climate change loomed large and the imperative to preserve the environment for generations to come could not be overstated.

“We need to save the environment for future generations as it relates to health, water resources and air quality, and we are committed to reducing carbon emissions.

“We also deliberated on how transport can be more resilient through better planning to tackle the ever-present shocks to the transport system.”

Mangcu said he also initiated strategic transport partnerships through high-level bilateral meetings with transport ministers from Norway, China, the UK and Chile, among others.

The summit also presented a platform for SA’s campaign to be re-elected to the International Maritime Organisation.

“I also participated in twopanel discussions during the summit; the first panel focused on efforts to decarbonise transport and the second panel tackling the role of transport in enhancing economic growth,” Mangcu said.

Nqatha said the summit was a success and that it was important to foster global discussions on issues plaguing the SA transport sector.

“It was an overwhelming success, we learnt from other countries regarding the reduction of gas emissions,” Nqatha said.

“In the Eastern Cape, I will execute the visions that were mapped out at the summit and that is to reduce pollution.”