The High-Level 16th Regional Environmentally Sustainable Transport Forum in Asia "Sustainable Urban Mobility Solutions – Empowering Cities Towards Low Carbon Pathways for Achieving Co-Benefits & Economic Resilience in the SDGs Era" was recently held from 10-12 December 2024 at the headquarters of the Asian Development Bank in Metro Manila, Philippines. It was co-organized by the Philippine Government (Department of Transport, supported by the Department of Public Works and Highways and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources), the Ministry of Environment of Japan, Asian Development Bank (ADB), Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), and the United Nations Centre for Regional Development of the Division for Sustainable Development Goals, United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNCRD-DSDG/UN DESA).

The Asian Transport Observatory is the monitoring mechanism to the Aichi 2030 Declaration on Environmentally Sustainable Transport  - Making Transport in Asia Sustainable (2021-2030) which is a comprehensive framework towards sustainable mobility that was adopted by the participating entities to the High-Level 14th EST Forum held in Aichi, Japan in 2021. This year’s 16th EST forum focuses on the following goals: goal 1c – air pollution ; goal 3 – economic sustainability; and goal 5 – urban access. The ATO delivered the scene setting presentations on the state and trends toward the achievement of these goals in the EST region. Moreover, the ATO team has delivered background papers on these goals, as well as “Aichi 2030” profiles which give country specific insights. The ATO team also released the 2024 update of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Transport in Asia, as well as 40 urban profiles – which align with this year’s EST focus on urban transport.

The ATO team also contributed to the pre-events (held in December 9, 2024). The results of the Bridging the Gap: NDCs and Transport Policy Landscapes study —conducted by the ATO, and supported by the UKAID through the UK FCDO under the HVT applied research programme—  was presented at the "Enabling a 1.5C Future: Strategies for Sustainable and Resilient Transport Systems" which was organized by SLOCAT and the Global Climate Action Partnership. ATO also presented on transport health issues at the "Sustainable Urban Mobility Solutions-Empowering Cities towards Low Carbon Pathways for Achieving Co-benefits & Economic Resilience in the SDGs Era" pre-event that was organized by the World Health Organization.

The ATO also transitioned towards being the "Asian Transport Outlook" to the "Asian Transport Observatory" which they had announced during the 16th EST forum. Cornie Huizenga, one of the pioneers of the ATO, also gave a keynote speech during the EST forum. The ATO advisory council also held its 2nd meeting after the forum.

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