While the transport sector lacks dedicated Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), its pivotal role in enabling sustainable development is undeniable. Transport's integration across multiple SDGs highlights its transformative potential, with targets such as 3.6, 9.1, and 11.2 explicitly addressing infrastructure and services. Beyond these, at least 11 of the 17 SDGs include targets with significant implications for transport, underscoring its critical role in driving social and economic progress, its responsiveness to external forces, and its rapid growth trajectory.
This third edition of the Asia-specific status report on transport-related SDG targets brings together 32 indicators from official and reputable non-official data sources. Covering 51 economies in Asia and the Pacific, the report offers a collective assessment of regional performance and provides global comparisons for context. It includes data spanning from 2000 to 2022 or 2023, capturing trends, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, and signs of recovery in the transport sector.
The report leverages data from the Asian Transport Outlook (ATO), an initiative of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB). By providing insights into historical trends, baseline projections, and cross-sectoral comparisons, the report serves as a vital resource for understanding the role of transport in achieving the SDGs in Asia and the Pacific.