The Challenge of Low-Carbon Development - World Bank Internet ...

The WBG urban transport portfolio (2003–08)The IEG review of the overall transport portfolio (IEG2007) noted that the number of urban transport operationsis small relative to the scale of the problem. It suggestedthat the limited activity may reflect the complexity of theseprojects, but nonetheless it recommended that this subsectorof activity should grow. Since then the WBG TransportBusiness Strategy for 2008–12 has identified climate changeas one of its five strategic objectives.Bus rapid transit projects, many withcarbon objectives, multiplied at the Bankafter 2002.During 2003–08 there were 36 World Bank urban transportoperations, versus 37 in the previous five-year period1998–2002. However, average Bank commitments per yeardeclined from $713 to $611 million. The decline in part reflectsa complete lack of new operations in South Asia in2003–08. However, a post-2008 upsurge may signal a partialreversal of trends.During 2003–08, there was a clear shift toward BRT. Therewere 19 such operations (11 for full BRTS), compared with6 in 1998–2002 (only one of which was for a BRTS). Thenew operations were concentrated in Latin America andEast Asia.Attention to carbon has been increasing. During 2003–08,39 percent of the urban transport operations had formalor informal 2 carbon reduction goals, versus 19 percent inthe prereview period. As many as 10 operations in 2003–08had components to monitor carbon reduction (comparedto only 1 in the previous period), 6 of which involved GEFfinancing to develop the components.Barriers and interventions to reducing congestion andCO 2emissionsBRTSs face a number of barriers:• Conflicting demand for road space. Establishing dedicatedbus lanes can displace other road users, creating resistanceto the loss of circulation space and leading to spilloverof traffic to neighboring roads. Demand managementand parking restrictions are potential responses.• Institutional problems. The real benefits of mass publictransportation are only realized with a multicorridortrunk route system that is linked to a series of feederroutes. Scaling up to such a system puts a premium oncoordinated planning in multi-jurisdictional metropolitanareas and on sustained long-term political commitmentto routes and land use zoning.• Opposition by taxi and minivan owners. BRT achievespollution, congestion, and carbon emissions reductionslargely by substituting for existing fleets of minibuses.Such fleets are highly polluting and unsafe but employthousands of drivers, who tend to oppose change. Thisprocess has proven to be politically contentious in manycities; responses include finding ways to integrate the driversinto the new system or otherwise compensate them.Photo by Curt Carnemark, courtesy of the World BankPhoto Library.Beyond Energy: Low-Carbon Paths in Cities and Forests | 49