Barbados is stepping up its efforts to make transport cleaner, safer and more affordable as public and private stakeholders gather to explore sustainable mobility solutions to the island’s growing traffic and emissions challenges.
Representatives from the private sector, energy, transport, disability organisations and various government agencies gathered at the Lloyd Erskine Sandiford Centre on Wednesday for a workshop on Mobilising Climate Finance: Sector Prioritisation and Validation.
The session is the fourth in a series of climate change and climate finance workshops held under the Roofs to Reefs programme.
Director of the Roofs to Reefs Programme in the Prime Minister’s Office, Ricardo Marshall, said the workshop was focused on sustainable mobility and the transport industry.
Marshall said: “Sustainable mobility is not simply the decarbonisation of the transport sector. It is an interconnected, complex system that requires coordinated, multi-sectoral action across infrastructure, technology, behaviour and policy, while electrification remains a critical component.”
He explained that sustainable mobility also requires intelligent transport systems “that seek to optimise traffic flow and reduce congestion; urban designs that prioritise walkability, accessibility and safety; integrated public networks that are reliable, efficient and inclusive; and support behavioural shifts towards shared mobility and active transport to reduce reliance on private vehicles”.
He stressed that the transition to sustainable mobility must include several key elements.
“The transition to sustainable mobility is ultimately a call for safe, efficient, low-carbon, equitable transport systems which serve all members of the public regardless of age, gender, ability, income or location, and which are also able to withstand the impacts of the climate change crisis that we face.”
Programme Coordinator of Roofs to Reefs, Dr Danielle Evanson, said the workshop aimed to identify the key drivers influencing the transport industry, articulate a vision for sustainable mobility and explore potential projects and financing opportunities.
The discussions were framed around the Mission Barbados roadmap, released in December, she said.
“It is a whole-of-society approach looking at outcomes-based approaches to our development and longer-term transformational actions rather than just looking at short-term cycles and short-term performance.”
Barbados is aiming to achieve net-zero emissions by 2035, and Dr Evanson noted that decarbonising the sector could cost approximately $17bn.
She outlined several strategies being considered to transform the transport sector.
“Looking at measures to avoid travel or reduce the need to travel; looking at measures that shift travel to more efficient modes such as using buses, using trains—obviously not in this context—but those modes that either use fewer emissions, like cycling and walking, or are able to move a lot of people more efficiently. And then the last part of that component would be improving the technology that is used for transport, which would mean looking at things like electric vehicles and cleaner energy.”
Dr Evanson also pointed to several national policies that support sustainable mobility.
The National Energy Policy of 2019 calls for increasing the number of hybrid and electric vehicles, reducing vehicles per capita and improving the attractiveness of public transport.
The Physical Development Plan of 2023 highlights the need to increase mobility and accessibility through multimodal transportation.
The Plan for Investment in Prosperity and Resilience of 2024 includes expanding electric vehicle charging networks and incorporating bicycles and other modes of transport.
The energy transition and investment plan sets a target of net zero emissions by 2035, having 100 per cent EVs by 2040.
She said: “Our nationally determined contribution, which is our international commitment to the climate change convention, speaks about an efficient, affordable and resilient transport system. And then the Mission Barbados plan talks about shifting towards shared, active and accessible mobility.”
But she noted that some policy conflicts still remain.
“There is the general intention of looking at integrated transport, looking at multimodality and moving more away from cars, but there is still a bit of conflict where no bonuses are expected.”
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