UITP at COP30: Public Transport Climbs up the Agenda
At COP30, public transport finally stepped into the global climate spotlight and UITP was at the centre of the conversation.
With the UN Decade of Sustainable Transport about to launch and the first World Public Transport Day coming next year, COP30 arrived at a decisive moment for public transport and climate action.
UITP was present to highlight how public transport is a climate solution, building on our analysis of public transport gaining ground in national climate plans.
Throughout COP, Philip Turner, Head of Sustainable Development at UITP, shared this analysis, demonstrating how public transport contributes to climate action and how the Paris Agreement can open up the climate financing needed.
Public Transport on the COP Presidency Agenda
After consistent advocacy by UITP, public transport is now part of the COP Presidency Action Agenda.
Announced on 13 November during COP 30 at the session “Advancing Sustainable Urban Mobility: A Showcase of Results and Solution”, UITP is leading in developing a global action plan on scaling up public and sustainable transport in cities, as part of this Action Agenda (Key Objective 13).
The plan will promote a modal shift to energy-efficient, fossil-free transport, focusing on public transport and active mobility. It will include capacity building, financing strategies, public opinion support, and guidance for integrating public transport into NDCs.
Financing is critical to realising the full climate potential of public transport. The plan highlights how carbon markets can help close the transport finance gap, support investment de-risking, and enable countries to integrate public transport into their NDCs more effectively.
This is critical as transport contributes nearly 24% of global CO₂ emissions and requires a 59% reduction by 2050. However, rail and public transport receive only 23% of climate finance. To change this, the plan outlines five key actions:
- Ensuring additionality for financial viability
- Enabling subnational carbon market access
- Developing sector-specific methodologies
- Implementing efficient MRV systems
- Aligning policies with the Sustainable Development Goals
The message is clear: Public transport is finally being recognised as a critical climate solution – but now it must be backed by strong investment, governance, and delivery.
Unlocking Climate Finance Opportunities
The importance of finance was central to discussions in a number of events throughout COP 30.
From the session “Shift Happens: Funding Transport for a Net-Zero Future” at the Transport Pavilion to the UNFCCC side event “Unlocking Finance for Low-Carbon Transport”, discussions focused on how the Paris Agreement can help cities advance sustainable public transport.
The discussions included the opportunity provided by Article 6.2 of the Paris Agreement which enables bilateral or multilateral cooperation. Cities can partner with governments to monetise emission reductions from projects such as bus electrification, metro expansion, or cycling infrastructure.
Countries can also form regional agreements to implement joint low-carbon transport programmes. One example is CAF in Latin America, highlighted in a dedicated session at the CAF Pavilion on climate finance for transport infrastructure.
This topic is further explored in the joint report by UITP and the Inter-American Development Bank, which provides policy guidelines and recommendations to strengthen the financial sustainability and institutional capacity of public transport across the region.
Article 6.4 was also discussed, which establishes a centralised UN-supervised carbon market mechanism that allows public and private entities to earn credits from certified emission reductions for urban transport projects such as metro extensions and BRT electrification.
The strategic benefits of climate financing for cities and the public transport sector were clear.
Public Transport and NDCs
The role of public transport in NDCs was also a key topic during the COP events, such as at the Korea Pavilion during the session on “Transport’s New Ambition in the 2025 NDCs” or the Mediterranean Pavilion session “From Solutions & Results to Scaling Up Implementation of Low-Carbon Mobility”.
UITP presented its analysis of the latest NDCs which show that three-quarters now feature public transport measures, up from two-thirds previously. Half of the new NDCs include specific public transport sector targets, compared to just 20% in the last round.
While there is significant progress, the issue of finance still has work to be done. Nearly two-thirds of NDCs fail to specify any financial budgets for public transport measures, making it difficult to link plans with international climate finance mechanisms like those under Article 6 of the Paris Agreement.
Looking Ahead to Public Transport Milestones
COP 30 came at a crucial time for the climate and for public transport. Coming just a month before the launch of the UN Decade of Sustainable Transport, and six months before the first World Public Transport Day, a UITP initiative which will launch on 17 April 2026.
The discussions in Belém showed that public transport is rising on the global climate agenda and that ambition among countries is increasing.
What is needed now is a shift from commitments to implementation supported by adequate financing and strong governance.
Only then can the world fully realise the opportunities public transport offers in meeting climate goals.
