Linking Public Transport and the Sustainable Development Goals – What is Our Progress?
Unlocking Sustainable Urban Mobility
The energy transition to sustainable mobility is perhaps the biggest revolution that the public transport sector has ever had to undertake.
Around the globe, both operators and authorities are mobilised to electrify vehicles, encourage modal shift away from private vehicles, and maximise the use of renewable energy sources.
That is what our 2030 sustainability goals demand.
However, one key step that public transport organisations must also make is to integrate the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) into their processes and reports. Like this, our sector can better meet our responsibilities and be transparent in doing so.
So how is public transport doing on sustainability?
To help provide insights, UITP and the University of Milano Bicocca conducted a survey of public transport organisations’ sustainability processes.
It targeted operators, authorities, and operating agencies working across different administrative levels in all parts of the globe.
There were six main research questions:
- What are public transport organisations actively doing to contribute to the SDGs?
- Which contributions rely specifically on the public transport sector to achieve the 2030 sustainability goals?
- How are authorities and operators addressing the SDGs global challenges?
- Which SDGs are most relevant to public transport?
- What is the direct action of public transport on each selected dimension?
- How can the dimensions be translated into indicators that can measure action towards achieving the goals?
| 47 respondents | 27 countries and territories |
| 22 operators | 18 authorities |
| 7 operating agencies | 17 SDGs |
Which SDGs Affect Public Transport?
There are 17 SDGs. To monitor and report on progress, public transport organisations should identify the links between their activities and their contributions to the goals.
Integrating the SDGs into our operations will allow our sector to better know – and in turn, better sell to authorities, funders, and the public – the benefits of public transport.
On the flip side, it will also help us recognise and mitigate negative externalities.
On some SDGs, public transport has little impact. But many relate directly to mobility, and others to wider governance and operations.
In mapping the benefits and negative externalities of transport, it is possible to see where public transport fits in.
Public transport offers accessibility and affordability, improves, urban life, provides local jobs and more.
On the other hand, there are knock-on effects such as ecological impact, potential air and noise pollution, and the barrier effect which may put up obstacles in existing neighbourhoods.
Translating these benefits and impacts into the SDG goals guides us to the nine SDGs defined in the study as highly impacting the public transport:
SDG 3: Good Health and Wellbeing
For passengers and employees alike.
SDG 5: Gender Equality
This encompasses our employees, the community, and general governance.
SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth
Local, skilled, and a pillar of the community – public transport is often a local area’s largest employer and extends benefits to the wider economy.
SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure
For passengers and the environment, these three I’s are key.
SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities
For both employees and the wider community, public transport improves access to opportunity and cuts the barrier to mobility.
SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities
Public transport is indispensable as the backbone of a sustainable urban area.
SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production
Public transport uses energy, equipment, and rolling stock that needs continual modernisation. This also means mitigating the impacts of scrapping with recycling schemes.
SDG 13: Climate Action
Nearly a quarter of all emissions come from transport. Our sector is hugely important to battling climate change.
SDG 16: Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions
The governance of public transport affects the wider community, from fostering inclusion and stability.
Insights From Our Survey
Linking the UN’s SDGs to public transport will clarify our activities and guide us on the path to sustainable mobility.
Although only a snapshot, our survey was extensive in scope and uncovered insights on several key targets.
- Over half of public transport organisations have defined carbon reduction targets
- Almost 8 in 10 public transport operators have a dedicated sustainability manager
- 72% of respondents offer staff economic incentives on sustainable mobility
Economic Inclusion
Every $1 invested in public transport generates $5 in economic returns. This tells us how important public transport is to economic opportunity – but currently, it is a fact that low-density areas are underserved.
Getting public transport out to those who live in rural and peri-urban areas will support social equity and encourage a sustainable modal shift.
And on this, 2 in 3 authorities and operating authorities have plans to adapt their transport offer to these areas.
68% of authorities are conducting studies on mobility demand in areas with low demand – and most of those studies look beyond administrative boundaries.
As for operators, the majority have a dedicated inclusion policy for transport users, which focuses on social, economic, and political inclusion.
A large part of economic inclusion means removing barriers to public transport, namely affordability.
On this, 66% of organisations offer either discounted or free passes (or both) for certain groups of passengers.
These segments are most commonly defined by age, working/student status, conditions that reduce mobility, or those with low income.
What’s more, 6 in 10 organisations also offer communications in a language different from the local one. That’s important for tourists and foreign residents alike.
Employee Safety and Wellbeing
Wellbeing is not just a key SDG, but also crucial for recruitment and retention. Almost three-quarters of all surveyed organisations have an employee satisfaction survey.
What’s more, 70% offer some form of counselling services. On safety, the most common measures are the installation of CCTV and physical protection devices.
Already, 10% use AI to support other safety tools, and this may grow in the near future.
Recycling
A true strategy for sustainable mobility must also consider the whole-life carbon costs of operations. That’s where recycling comes in.
While recycling is not necessarily a public transport operator or authority’s direct responsibility, it is within the scope of organisation to which services are outsourced.
And on this, it is encouraging that 81% of organisations surveyed have a set recycling policy, with the great majority also scrapping old vehicles sustainably and measuring excavated material during construction, a potential source of waste.
Hear From UITP Members
Sharing knowledge and best practices helps us advance public transport – and it’s what we do at UITP.
This survey, an activity of the UITP Sustainable Development Committee in cooperation with the University of Milano-Bicocca, engaged dozens of UITP members.
As a part of their effort to better link public transport and the UN’s SDGs, you can discover more from our members themselves:
FGC, Spain
Ferrocarrils de la Generalitat de Catalunya (FGC) has developed the FGC 2020-2030 Activism Strategy, aligning with the SDGs.
The strategy outlines four axes of action—ethics, people, sustainability, and opportunities—each linked to specific SDGs, aiming to foster transparency, climate action, and social equity.
Progress is reported twice a year and audited by an independent verifier.
Transdev, Global
Transdev operates transport services across 19 countries on all continents. Based on the strategic partnership between its joint owners Caisse des Dépôts and the RETHMANN Group, Transdev actively contributes to 10 SDGs.
Ruter AS, Norway
Ruter serves around 60% of all public transport journeys in Norway. Its sustainability strategy is aligned with eight SDGs, focusing primarily on sustainable cities (SDG 11), supported by efforts on SDGs 3, 8, 9, 10, 12, and 17.
MTR, Hong Kong SAR
MTR’s materiality assessment aligns business strategies with global sustainability priorities, prioritising SDGs 8, 9, and 11, and linking with nine other SDGs. MTR aims to integrate these goals across its operations to support sustainable development.
RTA, United Arab Emirates
Dubai’s RTA has dedicated sustainability initiatives such as the UAE Vision 2021.
As a participant in the UN Global Compact’s SDG Ambition Accelerator, RTA is setting ambitious corporate targets to integrate the SDGs into its core business management.
The organisation benchmarks its performance against ten SDGs.
Metro de Santiago, Chile
Metro de Santiago has integrated environmental, social, and governance considerations into its 2032 Strategic Plan and financing strategies.
Their sustainability reports assess progress toward Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and its Green Financing Framework funds projects that support the SDGs.
Translink, Canada
Translink manages Vancouver’s regional transport system, supporting growth, environmental, and economic goals while serving 2.5 million people.
Its 2023 integrated report, aligned with SASB, GRI Standards, and the SDGs, includes a materiality assessment to update priorities and address governance, fiscal, environmental, and social issues.
City of Cape Town – Urban Mobility Directorate, South Africa
The City of Cape Town’s 5-year strategic plan envisions a well-run, responsive government focused on economic growth, improving residents’ quality of life, and enhancing connectivity with a more efficient and integrated public transport service.
The Transport Directorate plays a key role in the plan, which aligns in particular with SDG 11.
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