Adwait Limaye presented "Rail beyond mobility: climate and resilience pathways" highlighting the role of rail as climate infrastructure and the opportunities and challenges shaping its contribution to decarbonization and resilience in Asia-Pacific.

The presentation talked about:

• Rail emissions and changing trajectories – While rail emissions continue to rise in absolute terms, the sector's share in transport emissions is reducing, with electrification showing positive impacts on emissions pathways.
• Climate risk and infrastructure gaps – Rail carries a disproportionate burden of climate-related infrastructure risks, while infrastructure availability and expansion remain constrained in many economies.
• Investment and policy momentum – Investments in rail are increasing and development assistance is gradually shifting toward rail, alongside growing policy attention to rail climate measures.
• Positioning rail as climate infrastructure – Rail continues to be underrepresented in climate commitments despite increasing recognition of its decarbonization and resilience benefits, highlighting opportunities for stronger integration into climate strategies and financing frameworks.

Additional presentations by Joo Hyun Ha highlighted UIC’s analysis on rail integration in NDCs, while Guillaume Remy, and speakers from China Academy of Railway Sciences and Southwest Jiaotong University shared experiences on carbon markets, rail decarbonization, and practical applications from China and broader international contexts.

This session was attended by approximately 20 participants from UIC Asia-Pacific member countries.

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