24 NOV 2023 · CORPORATE
Industry leaders, the United Nations and civil society are coming together today to celebrate the first ever World Sustainable Transport Day, officially marked on 26 November.
Sustainable transport connects people, communities and economies in harmony with the environment, improving social equity and development while reinforcing safety and resilience.
World Sustainable Transport Day, to be marked every 26 November from this year on, will serve as a global platform, raising awareness of the pivotal role that sustainable transport plays in our lives.
IRU Secretary General Umberto de Pretto said, “This new day, 26 November, is a special day for everyone to stop, reflect and recognise just how crucial transport, and road transport in particular, is in every aspect of our daily lives.
“Road transport services – trucks, vans, buses, coaches and taxis – are the lifeblood of economies and communities worldwide, moving people and goods across villages, towns, nations and continents. Road transport plays an indispensable role in driving the pillars of sustainable development – environmental, social and economic.
“As IRU, we are particularly proud as we proposed this day and helped steer it through the UN adoption process. Now let’s turn words into action. Let’s make 26 November a day to remember this year, and every year.”
The UN General Assembly, the main policy-making organ of the United Nations, adopted the resolution to designate a UN World Sustainable Transport Day at its 77th session earlier this year.
The resolution followed IRU’s initial proposal for a dedicated “World Transport Day”.
“We would like to thank the Government of Turkmenistan for championing and advancing this idea, and facilitating the adoption of the UN resolution,” said Umberto de Pretto.
IRU has created a dedicated World Sustainable Transport Day website which includes ready-to-use and customisable social media packages to help everyone celebrate this important day.
Palais des Nations lights up
To mark the inaugural celebration of the World Sustainable Transport Day, the United Nations is hosting a special event today in Geneva at the Palais des Nations.
Following welcome remarks by Antonio Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations, IRU Secretary General Umberto de Pretto speaks on greening transport, outlining the fundamental contribution of buses, coaches, taxis and trucks to safer, more efficient and greener sustainable transport.
