Aston University: Aston University expert calls for COP27 to focus on sustainable transport

An Aston University expert has said that sustainable transport should be placed at the heart of the forthcoming COP27 climate conference.

Dr Lucy Rackliff made the call while sitting on a panel at the final summit of Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce (GBCC) sustainability series campaign.

She was invited to join a panel that analysed the consequences of last year’s COP 26 conference, held in Glasgow.
Dr Rackliff is senior lecturer in transport, and interim head of the Department of Engineering Systems and Supply Chain Management.

Speaking at the Birmingham event she said: “What I really want people to realise is that sustainable transport has to be at the heart of any measures to address climate change.

“It’s a big issue because it’s a big contributor to the emissions from every single other sector.

“Educating transport professionals to enable them to deliver a clean transport system is a fundamental part of the solution.”

The event was the culmination of this autumn’s sustainable series campaign devised by the GBCC to share measures businesses can take to, and commercial benefits of, progressing to net zero. Dr Rackliff joined a panel that included Professor David Hannah, director of the Birmingham Institute for Sustainability and Climate Action and Andrew Whitehead, senior partner and head of energy of Shakespeare Martineau.

Dr Rackliff added: “As other panellists stated right now climate change is breaching the 1.5 degree threshold.

“There is a 50/50 chance that this threshold will be broken over the next five years, and the difference between 1.5 and two degrees will put 450 million people at risk.

“Countries are dialling down the impact, but so far efforts are not sufficient.”

The conference held on November 2 was chaired by chamber chief executive Henrietta Brealey, and included keynote addresses by mayor for the West Midlands Andy Street and Michaela Wright, head of sustainability of HSBC UK.