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In a rare move, ITS rivals Yunex Traffic and Swarco have formed a partnership. But they aren’t going to be sharing secrets with one another, instead they’re using their combined force to petition the World Economic Forum 2022, which takes place next week (May 22-26) in Davos, Swizertland, on the climate emergency.
Nearly 2,500 leaders from politics, business, civil society and media are expected to converge on the picturesque mountain village, for the World Economic Forum’s first in-person Annual Meeting for more than two years.
The stated aim is to tackle global issues and find solutions to the world’s most urgent challenges including the ongoing global pandemic, the war in Ukraine, geo-economic shocks and climate change, which is why the ITS giants have picked this moment to act and highlight the key role mobility must play in reducing carbon emissions. They have jointly written an open letter to all World Economic Forum participants 2022. The letter is as follows:
Dear participants of the World Economic Forum 2022 in Davos
In the days ahead, you will discuss the key challenges of our times, evaluate ideas, then develop solutions.
One of them is the climate crisis. They are the most urgent. We will not be able stop global warming if we don’t take immediate action. We will also not be able preserve our planet for future generations.
Although climate change is caused by many factors, the transport sector is the main cause: More than 20 percent of global CO2 emissions is directly attributable to transport. The figure in Europe is even higher at 30 %. This is not surprising when we consider the urbanization of our cities. Traffic congestion and air pollution are part of everyday life in cities around the world, harming people’s health and the environment.
We must change how we move if we are to address the climate crisis.
First, we must make conscious decisions about which mode of transportation is best for us. But it is not the only one. Sustainable mobility requires that we change how we use and manage traffic, and that we implement environmentally-friendly mobility solutions that positively impact traffic flow and mobility behavior. We must implement a traffic management system that allows holistic, proactive, demand-driven and demand-driven use both of road and transit capacity. We need to change road users’ behavior so that they choose more sustainable modes.
We need to collect data on pollutants like particulate matter and nitrogen oxides, as well as information on traffic density and transport modes so that traffic can be managed in a dynamic way that meets the needs of road users and the environment. We must reduce motorized individual traffic. Dynamic congestion charging or low emission zones are possible solutions.
Digitization is a key factor in the transformation to sustainable, climate-friendly, and environmentally sound mobility. Digitizing our roads can make mobility more sustainable, efficient, and reliable. This will benefit everyone: car drivers, public transport, cyclists, pedestrians, and all other micro-mobile users. Environment will be the main beneficiary.
We can only overcome the challenges of sustainable mobility if we all work together and restore trust. Trust in public transport, sustainable transport systems, as well as trust in politicians to take the right actions now to save our planet.
We, the world’s leading providers of intelligent traffic systems, may be competitors in the market. We are united in our pursuit of sustainable mobility solutions. Because only together can we make a difference on a global scale. Because there is no time to waste.
This is why we are jointly calling on the world’s economic leaders:
• Mobility must be acknowledged as a key driver of climate change, and the development and implementation of solutions to reduce transport emissions must be put at the top of the agenda.
• Cities, communities and road network operators need financial support to implement innovative solutions – there must be incentives and funding to encourage greener forms of transport.
• The ITS industry must be adequately considered in new initiatives and regulations such as the EU Taxonomy For Sustainable Activities.
Markus Schlitt, CEO of Yunex Traffic: “To realize the much-needed mobility revolution, companies should turn away from the ‘Egosystem’ of working against each other and towards an ‘Ecosystem’ in which we do not waste time competing but focus on developing open solutions for the biggest crisis of our time – the climate crisis – as quickly as possible. I am proud that we can lead by example by standing together today as global leaders in intelligent traffic systems and joining forces in striving for a more sustainable mobility.”
Michael Schuch, CEO of SWARCO, acknowledges the importance of addressing the challenges in the transport and mobility sector now: “Our generation has the responsibility to preserve a livable planet for future generations who want to be mobile as well. With our expertise, we can help to make this a reality. Intelligent infrastructures, behavioral changes in our everyday lives, and traffic management solutions evolving with new requirements and considering the entire mobility eco-system are indispensable cornerstones to shape a greener future for all of us.”
Georg Kapsch, CEO of Kapsch TrafficCom: “The climate crisis is the most urgent global challenge that we are facing. We, as an industry, are united in our recognition that sustainability is a cooperative effort. We are asking government and authorities to follow our lead and take concrete and tangible steps towards making the world a better place. The first step would be to include our industry in the green taxonomy. The solutions to make a difference are there – but we need you to use them.”
We, the industry leaders, are ready to unite to make mobility sustainable. Now it’s up to you, the world’s economic leaders, to work together and pave the way for a sustainable mobility revolution.
Let’s do it!
