A Dashboard for Sustainable Transport in Asia and the Pacific
The United Nations Decade for Sustainable Transport 2026–2035 is a unique opportunity for the transport sector around the world to show off its achievements, share its problems and ask for the support it needs. Whereas the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals 2030 only include transport as a subset of other goals, the UN Decade will change the way transport is perceived and give the sector a boost in terms of financing and investment, all while promoting green and sustainable transport systems.
What the UN Decade needs to be a success is accurate and reliable data on the sector. Unfortunately, that is hard to come by, especially in developing nations. For example, a number of countries in Europe track their sectoral data with diligence, making it easier for them to make decisions and plan ahead. However, other parts of the world do not have mechanisms in place to track their transport sectors, analyse relevant data and use it to their advantage
To change that, the Asian Transport Observatory (ATO) was established by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and subsequently supported by the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB). The ATO is an open-access platform that covers fifty-one economies across the Asia–Pacific to curate valuable data and translate it into insights, policies, and investments in support of the region’s transport planning and decision-making.
A Dashboard for Sustainable Transport in Asia and the Pacific is the ATO's fourth iteration of its trademark Asia–Pacific status report. It examines the headways made in Asia and the Pacific against regional and global benchmarks, demonstrating that progress in sustainable transport practices is, indeed, measurable. The document's thorough approach makes it a foundational text for the achievement of both the 2030 SDG Agenda and the upcoming UN Decade of Sustainable Transport.
The report employs a unique methodology with a set of fifty-four comprehensive indicators, examining sustainable transport using six interconnected lenses—infrastructure and connectivity; access; mobility, equity and prosperity; energy and carbon emissions; climate resilience and disaster preparedness; and health and environmental impacts.
Using charts and graphs to illustrate its revelatory findings, the report delves deep into each of its indicators, which range from infrastructure investment, shipping connectivity, logistics performance, rural and urban transport access, and vehicle trade, to aging populations, public transport, employment and gender gaps, emissions, disasters, and many others. It uses concrete and verified data to assess how each of these indicators impacts, or is impacted by, transport in the Asia–Pacific.
Further enriching the analysis, where feasible, the report compares the transport’s performance against other sectors. The study pinpoints regional strengths and areas demanding intensified focus to accelerate sustainable development. By leveraging historical data from 2000 to 2022/2023 and using roughly 600 transport policy documents covering thirty-six countries, the report also captures the profound impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the transport sector and its subsequent recovery.
A unique feature of the report is its colour-coded dashboard, giving readers an instant view of the progress each discussed indicator has made. The indicators are sorted into three broad categories: green, for areas in which significant progress has been made, such as digital connectivity; amber, for areas that show positive momentum, but where more work is required, such as public transport; and red, for areas in which minimal or no progress has been made, or, as in some instances, there has been regression, such as transport infrastructure.
The breadth of the indicators discussed in this paper is incredibly extensive. Not only are there infrastructural and financial variables considered, but also sociological factors that can make or break an individual’s journey, such as the integration of gender in transport policies. The impact of transport on the environment takes due centre stage. Indicators such as PM2.5, black carbon, NOx and SOx emissions, fossil fuel subsidies, grid emissions, transport-related air pollution impact on health, and more, are carefully examined. There are also indicators that might generally fly under the radar, such as bicycle trade, that get due attention in the report.
As one look at the dashboard suggests, despite progress in some key areas, the upcoming decade will be challenging for sustainable transport in Asia and the Pacific. There is uneven development across various indicators, including regionally, complicated further by gaps in infrastructure, ultimately hurting economic growth. For instance, as noted earlier, there has been growth in digital connectivity, but disparities remain, notably affecting vulnerable groups such as populations in Pacific Small Island Developing States and those in rural areas.
Wide-ranging indicators, such density among urban populations and transport electrification, while gaining some traction, continue to put pressure on existing systems. In even less good news, increasing energy use and CO2 emissions, rising climate vulnerability and health issues stemming from pollution and accidents, and costs stemming from road crashes and even disasters, require immediate action.
In addition to such in-depth analysis, this report is a stark reminder of the gaps in data and the differences across nations that obscure regional trends, highlighting the need for targeted interventions specific to each country.
Overall, while some high-income economies demonstrate notable advancements in sustainable transport, the report shows that the region as a whole has experienced slow progress, and the broader landscape is marked by under-investment in infrastructure, productivity lags, and gender disparities within the transport sector. These challenges underscore the need for comprehensive strategies that address connectivity gaps, promote sustainable energy transitions, enhance data collection, and foster inclusive, climate-resilient transport systems. The trends observed in Asia and the Pacific hold global relevance, offering valuable insights for developing and developed nations alike.
This report aims to help address those challenges. The level of granular detail covered in this report makes it the most comprehensive look at the state of transport in the Asia–Pacific region ever produced. The UN Decade for Sustainable Transport is a giant step towards changing the very nature of transport and its relationship with climate, and this report will further the key players' understanding of the sector in the Asia–Pacific region by leaps and bounds.
Listen to the deep dive:
Disclaimer:
This deep-dive recording was initially generated using Google’s NotebookLM, based on content from the original report document. The Asian Transport Observatory (ATO) team subsequently conducted a thorough review to ensure the accuracy, clarity, and consistency of the information presented. While AI-assisted tools supported the initial synthesis, all interpretations and conclusions have been reviewed by ATO subject matter experts.
However, ATO, its funders, and its partners do not accept any responsibility or liability for errors, omissions, or misinterpretations that may arise from the use of this recording. Users are encouraged to consult the original report and other official sources for authoritative reference.