Policy Dialogue on Green Freight

Date: 29 March 2023
Hybrid event (Vientiane, Lao PDR and online)

The transportation sector in the GMS is a major contributor to greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution, which contribute to climate change and negatively impact human health and the local and global environment. Green freight initiatives seek to address these issues by promoting the use of cleaner and more efficient modes of transportation, such as electric or hybrid vehicles, and by encouraging the adoption of best practices in logistics and supply chain management. The shift from diesel truck transportation to electrical train transport is an example of logistics measure that can move the sector in a greener direction.

The Policy Dialogue on Green Freight in the GMS is an important part of the Program’s efforts to promote and support sustainable development in the region. The overall goal will be to inform and share key learnings amongst the GMS countries the governance issues, measuring techniques, and activities to mitigate environmental, logistical, and strategic challenges and opportunities related to green freight in the GMS. This will inform policies and initiatives which will support governments and organizations to transition to a more sustainable transportation sector. This may include regulatory measures, financial incentives, technical development and testing, and capacity-building programs.

This policy dialogue on green freight will focus on:

• Exchange of policies, experiences, and actions between the GMS countries
• Policies to implement mitigation of carbon emissions from trucks
• Last mile transportation in a future with increasing e-commerce

Objectives

1. To introduce findings from the policy assessment on green freight across the GMS
2. To give GMS country representatives an opportunity to present their views and measures already taken on mitigating carbon emission from the freight sector
3. To present examples of ways forward in the GMS region and abroad

Target Participants

Target participants for the policy dialogue include WGE focal points and coordinators, and representatives of relevant government departments and ministries from each country, besides key development partners, representatives from civil society, academia, and private sector etc.). The policy dialogue will gather 20-30 participants.

Contact:

Regarding the program of the policy dialogue please contact:
Mr. Søren Hansen, CCESP thematic lead for Theme 2 at sh@henninglarsen.com

Regarding the CCESP Program, please contact:
Ms. Qudsia Sadiq at gms-ccesp@ramboll.com

GMS CCESP Policy Dialogue Green Freight – Agenda

About the GMS Climate Change and Environmental Sustainability Program (CCESP)

The technical assistance (TA) GMS Climate Change and Environmental Sustainability Program (CCESP), was approved by ADB to support the implementation of the Strategic Framework and Action Plan. This is the third and current phase of the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) Core Environment Program (CEP). The CCESP Program, to be implemented in 202-2025, targets three outputs, each covering two themes:

1. Climate and disaster resilience enhanced (Theme 1), and low carbon transitions facilitated (Theme 2)
2. Climate-smart landscapes promoted (Theme 3), and environmental quality enhanced (Theme 4)
3. Green technologies (Theme 5) and financing instruments demonstrated (Theme 6)

The above six themes were prioritized by the Working Group on Environment (WGE) during the 24^th GMS WGE Annual Meeting in 2019. The TA aims to help develop climate-friendly projects in the GMS regional investment framework (RIF) through enhancing capacities and enabling policies, demonstrating innovative activities, and catalyzing private sector opportunities.