CCTT Declaration on ‘Development of Low-Carbon Eurasian Transport Routes’

We, members of the International Coordinating Council on Trans-Eurasian Transportation (CCTT, Coordinating Council),

• expressing strong support for the goals and objectives of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development;
• guided by the 1992 UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the 1997 Kyoto Protocol, the 2015 Paris Agreement, the UNECE ITC Strategy to Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions in Inland Transport;
• determined to make significant efforts to contribute constructively to the adaptation of transport systems to climate change;

adopt this Declaration.

          CCTT shares the concern about the existing gap in the ambition and actual implementation of mitigation plans highlighted in the report of the First Global Summary adopted by the 28th Conference of the Parties to the UNFCCC (COP28) and supports the call for the exchange of views, information, ideas and technologies to accelerate the energy transition in transport systems.

In this regard, CCTT supports the creation of conditions for accelerating the achievement of the global goal to combat climate change expressed within the framework of the transport industry in ensuring carbon neutrality of Trans-Eurasian routes based on the convergence of approaches to decarbonisation of transport systems recognised by the CCTT members.

          CCTT is united in their position that one of such conditions is an increase in the share of railway transport in the organisation of multimodal transportation. This is due to the fact that the railway is recognised as one of the most low-carbon modes of transport, which accounts for 1% of global greenhouse gas emissions. In addition, the railway has the potential to play a special connecting role in building a carbon-neutral transport complex and green transport corridors.

The Coordinating Council will strive to provide an accessible representative platform for strengthening dialogue, coordination and partnership between CCTT members and all stakeholders to promote this condition.

          CCTT understands the importance of the global goal and is willing to join efforts in implementing the necessary measures to ensure an accelerated pace of its achievement, taking into account national and corporate priorities, conditions and opportunities, in the following areas:

• facilitating the conversion of freight transportation to low-carbon modes of transport, including rail transport, where this is in line with the objective of reducing the carbon footprint of transport services;
• increasing investment in the development of the necessary infrastructure to realise the potential of the transport industry in the field of climate change mitigation;
• continuous climate-friendly upgrades of vehicles, infrastructure and operations;
• ensuring the availability and exchange of carbon-neutral technologies, carrying out joint scientific research aimed at their development;
• training on the implementation of international requirements and programmes in the field of decarbonisation of transport;
• introduction of carbon footprint-reducing production models, including those based on circular economy principles;
• planning freight transportation that is optimal in terms of greenhouse gas emissions and ensures the promotion of Trans-Eurasian routes as "green" transport corridors;
• improvement of digital transportation management solutions and development of intelligent transportation systems;
• holding annual meetings on climate change, joint international events on integrated issues of decarbonisation of international transportation;
• creating additional economic incentives for businesses to stimulate the transition to low-carbon development;
• development of financing mechanisms for joint climate projects.

In order to assess the effectiveness of the implementation of measures, CCTT plans in the future to develop a monitoring system and indicators of progress in achieving carbon neutrality of Trans-Eurasian routes based on:

• reporting by CCTT members on GHG emissions, quantification approaches selected and mitigation measures implemented;
• regular assessment of the carbon footprint of vehicles, infrastructure and services.

Data collection, processing and evaluation tools will be developed with the participation of all CCTT members:

• unified system of climate monitoring, control and confirmation of greenhouse gas emissions on Trans-Eurasian routes based on artificial intelligence;
• methodological recommendations on a unified industry methodology for measuring greenhouse gas emissions and accounting the carbon footprint on the Trans-Eurasian route market and ensuring harmonisation of international, national and sectoral carbon regulation systems.

The measures planned for implementation guarantee the transparency and reliability of determining the carbon footprint at all stages of multimodal and intermodal transportation along Trans-Eurasian routes, will ensure comparability and mutual recognition of the quantitative indicators of the declared emissions of greenhouse gases and will bring CCTT closer to the formation of a unified system for voluntary declaration (or certification) of the carbon footprint of "green" transportation along Trans-Eurasian routes.

In the future, CCTT expresses their willingness to implement joint projects aimed at developing a common system of emissions trading, convergence of approaches to the implementation of climate projects, accounting and circulation of carbon units.

We are confident that the fruitful activities of CCTT will contribute to the formation of a mechanism for cross-border carbon regulation in the field of railway and multimodal transportation and the adaptation of the world transport system to climate change.

This Declaration is not an international treaty, it does not create rights and obligations governed by international law and does not affect the rights and obligations arising from the participation of CCTT members in other international treaties, membership in other industry associations and alliences.