The Asian Transport Observatory (ATO) presented in a webinar on 20 October 2026 focused on bridging the gap between climate commitments and implementation in Asia and the Pacific. The event brought together representatives from the Asian Development Bank (ADB), the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), Climate Compatible Growth (CCG), and ATO to discuss how transport data, policy analysis, and development finance can help translate climate ambitions into concrete investment priorities and projects.

The webinar highlighted the importance of strengthening the connections between evidence-based planning, project preparation, and financing, particularly as countries work toward implementing their climate commitments in the lead-up to COP31.

Assessing Transport Emissions and Decarbonization Priorities

ATO's Sudhir Gota presented findings from the new report, Slowing, Not Yet Falling: Transport Emissions in Asia and the Pacific – A Primer for COP31.

The presentation examined recent transport emissions trends across Asia and the Pacific, the underlying factors driving emissions growth, and the policy and financing gaps that need to be addressed to accelerate decarbonization.

The analysis highlighted the challenge of translating climate ambitions into measurable emissions reductions in a region where transport demand continues to expand. It also identified priorities for strengthening transport climate action, including the need for more effective policies, targeted investments, and improved integration of transport into national climate planning.

Tracking Development Finance for Transport

ATO's Alvin Mejia presented the Transport Development Finance Explorer, an interactive tool that provides insights into the scale, distribution, and historical trends of development finance for transport across Asia and the Pacific.

The presentation explored where transport development finance has been directed, how financing patterns have evolved, and where gaps remain in supporting sustainable and low-carbon transport development.

The Explorer helps governments, development partners, and researchers better understand financing trends and identify opportunities to align transport investments with national development priorities and climate commitments.

Bridging the Gap Between Data and Investment

The webinar also featured presentations from Climate Compatible Growth on its Data-to-Deal (D2D) approach and Climate Finance Tracker (FinTrack), highlighting how analytical tools can support the identification of financing opportunities and the development of investment-ready projects.

A panel discussion brought together perspectives from ADB, ATO, GIZ, and CCG on how data can help accelerate the implementation of climate commitments in Asia and the Pacific. Discussions focused on addressing national data gaps, strengthening project pipelines, prioritizing investments, and integrating data and modelling into government planning and investment decisions.

Supporting Evidence-Based Transport Climate Action

ATO's contributions to the webinar demonstrated how regional transport data, analytical reports, and interactive financing tools can support countries and development partners in identifying priorities and strengthening the foundations for transport investment.

As the region advances toward COP31 and implements the UN Decade of Sustainable Transport (2026-2035), ATO continues to support evidence-based decision-making by providing accessible, comparable, and policy-relevant information on transport emissions, investment flows, and sustainable transport development.

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