Chapter 9: Regulatory preparedness for non-motorised transport in Nairobi

Abstract

There is scientific consensus that human activities are inducing dangerous warming1 and the consequences will be severe and widespread. Droughts, floods, wildfires, heat waves, ocean acidification, sea level rise, among others, continue to threaten ecosystems and ultimately endanger human livability on earth.2 Consequently, urgent and concerted climate action is needed to avert a looming catastrophe. The Paris Agreement is a universal legally binding treaty adopted in 2015 and came into force in November 2016 as the successor to the Kyoto Protocol in an attempt to curb climate change. In stark contrast to Kyoto’s top-down model of internationally set binding emission reduction targets, the Paris Agreement has adopted a bottom-up approach to addressing emissions through the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs). Each party drafts their own NDCs, which represent the nation’s climate action plans taking into account local priorities and unique circumstances. Transport contributes towards 23% of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and is the second largest source of CO2 from fossil fuel combustion after the power sector.3 This figure is set to rise particularly with the growth of emissions from road transport.4 An analysis of 133 NDCs reveals that 76% of the parties intend to mitigate emissions from the transport sector with a focus on urban transport.5 Urban transport constitutes 40% of total transport energy consumption6 and projections indicate that it will double by 2050.7 This chapter postulates that the NDCs under the Paris Agreement present an opportune moment to advance low-carbon mobility options such as non-motorised transport (NMT) into city transport planning.