Clever moves…

"Transport plays a crucial role in social and economic development, but at the same time has important negative environmental impacts, such as greenhouse-gas emissions, local and regional air pollution, and land-use change. Finding ways to move people and goods in the most efficient and sustainable manner is therefore an urgent challenge to society as a whole, and at the same time represents an unprecedented business opportunity for the automotive industry. More than ever we need public-private-partnerships - as stimulated by UN Secretary General Kofi Annan's Global Compact - to bring about the required "clever moves". I therefore welcome DaimlerChrysler's commitment to continue the environmental forum Magdeburg ... and am glad that UNEP is DaimlerChrysler's partner in this initiative."
Klaus Töpfer, Executive Director, UNEP

UNEP's mission and activities

Established as a result of the 1972 United Nations Conference on the Human Environment in Stockholm, UNEP's mission is to provide leadership and encourage partnerships in caring for the environment by inspiring, informing and enabling nations and peoples to improve their quality of life without compromising that of future generations.
In the quest to find a balance between the need for economic development and social well-being and the need for a healthy environment, UNEP works closely with other United Nations agencies, international scientific communities, non-governmental organizations, civil society, industry and governments.

UNEP's activities cover a wide range of environmental issues in the overall context of sustainable development. Its present programme of work focuses on five areas:

• Environmental information, assessment and research, including environmental emergency response capacity and strengthening of early warning and assessment functions
• Enhanced co-ordination of environmental conventions and development of environmental policy instruments
• Fresh water
• Industry and technology transfer
• Support to Africa

UNEP's Division of Technology, Industry and Economics (DTIE), in particular, helps decision makers in government, local authorities and industry develop and adopt policies and practices that are cleaner and safer, make efficient use of natural resources, ensure adequate management of chemicals, incorporate environmental costs, reduce pollution and risks for humans and the environment, enable implementation of conventions and international agreements, and incorporate environmental costs.DTIE activities focus on raising awareness, improving the transfer of information, building capacity, fostering technology cooperation, partnerships and transfer, improving understanding of environmental impacts of trade issues, promoting integration of environmental considerations into economic policies, and catalysing global chemical safety.

Getting there…

is the slogan of UNEP's Mobility Forum, a voluntary initiative of 13 automotive manufacturers from Europe, Asia and the United States, to work jointly to protect the environment while maintaining healthy and profitable business operating within the framework of sustainable development. The Mobility Forum aims to engage all stakeholders and facilitate public-private-partnerships to promote sustainable production and consumption, and encourage new visions and strategies for sustainable mobility globally.
Indeed, we are already on the road towards sustainable mobility:
Automotive manufacturers have recognised their responsibility to reduce the negative environmental and social impacts of automotive transport - from production and use through to the end of a vehicle's life. Technological advances have helped to make production processes and products more environmentally friendly - and there are more interesting developments to come! However, increasing vehicle numbers and km driven have largely outpaced progress made, while at the same time, many people in developing countries still have limited access to sustainable transport means. Against this background, it will be increasingly important to put more emphasis on sustainable consumption of transport.
The fourth environmental forum in Magdeburg provides a perfect setting for dialogue involving all stakeholders - and activities resulting from this dialogue will take us one step closer to achieving sustainable mobility around the globe.

For further information:

United Nations Environment Programme
P.O. Box 30552
United Nations Avenue, Gigiri
Nairobi, Kenya
Phone: 0 02 54 - 2-62 12 34
Fax: 0 02 54 - 2-62 44 89/90
E-mail: cpiinfo@unep.org
Internet: www.unep.org

UNEP Division of Technology, Industry and Economics
Tour Mirabeau
39-43, quai André Citroen
75739 Paris Cedex 15
France
Tel: (33.1) 44.37.14.50
Fax: (33.1) 44.37.14.74
e-mail: uneptie@uneptie.org
Internet: www.uneptie.org