Download Management Response - Reducing Carbon Emissions from

MANAGEMENT RESPONSE TO THE EVALUATION KNOWLEDGE BRIEF
ON REDUCING CARBON EMISSIONS FROM TRANSPORT PROJECTS
On 6 August 2010, the Director General, Independent Evaluation Department, received
the following response from the Managing Director General on behalf of Management:
I.
General Comments
1.
We welcome IED’s Evaluation Knowledge Brief (EKB) on Reducing
Carbon Emissions from Transport Projects. The EKB provides important
information and outlines of tools that can inform ADB’s efforts to assist its
developing member countries (DMCs) in moving their economies onto lowcarbon growth paths and reducing the carbon footprint of Asia, as set forth in
ADB’s Strategy 2020.
2.
The EKB highlights transport as the fastest growing major contributor to
global climate change due to the unprecedented increase in motorized transport,
particularly in the Asia region. The EKB acknowledges ADB’s critical role in
shaping and expanding transport sector investments in Asia, and confirms the
role the sector plays in economic growth in DMCs. Improved accounting of the
sector’s environmental impacts is important, while not diluting the sector’s broad
role in the development agenda.
3.
The EKB focuses on CO2 emissions. Transport is a multi-faceted sector
with many, often conflicting demands and requirements. Balancing is required in
aiming to reduce CO2 from the transport sector and taking into account other
development impacts, in particular, on economic growth and on poverty reduction
through improved access to health, education, employment and economic
opportunities. One development impact should not override the others, and close
cooperation with DMCs to support their priorities is essential.
4.
The EKB provides an outline analytical tool to measure CO2 emissions
through an assessment of a sample of recent ADB transport projects, and offers
recommendations to pilot test emission measurements in future ADB transport
projects. The EKB highlights that current data and tools to support CO2 impact
analysis in the transport sector are inadequate to address emerging public policy
analysis needs. The report recognizes that ADB is working in cooperation with
other multilateral institutions and transport stakeholders in developing and
enhancing analytical tools that take into account CO2 emissions, local air pollution
and other costs and benefits of transport projects. While the report adds to
understanding in the area, additional work is required before concrete actions
can be taken to fully implement measurement of CO2 emissions in ADB’s
transport sector.
5.
Enhanced monitoring and evaluation of the sector’s carbon emissions,
together with expanded environmental and other benefits and costs of transport
projects, is in line with ADB’s Sustainable Transport Initiative Operational Plan
2
(STI OP),1 which will guide future support in the sector. As such, ADB is already
working in the direction of the recommendations proposed in the EKB.
6.
The EKB recommendations, if implemented fully, will have considerable
resource implications for ADB as well as on the capacity within DMCs. The
recommendations of the EKB need to be considered with current limitations in
mind and progressively piloted, where applicable, to ensure that ADB can
implement the recommendations in a systematic and sustainable way.
II.
Comments on Specific Recommendations
7.
Recommendation 1: Adopt carbon emissions as a consideration for
project design, review and appraisal. We agree, but with the understanding
that a suitable approach will first be developed by ADB and other relevant parties
(e.g., other multilateral development institutions, GEF, and relevant UN and
bilateral agencies) following additional work. The EKB stresses the lack of
adequate data; development of a suitable approach will require considerable
improvements in the current data. ADB is working with other multilateral
development institutions in this regard and will continue to do so. Once
developed, the methodology will be pilot tested on selected new projects to
ensure the robustness of the data and the methodology, while taking into account
DMC capacities.
8.
ADB’s STI OP highlights the need to address climate change in transport,
including assessing carbon emissions during project design, review and
appraisal. ADB has initiated work to review the transport sector project pipeline
and to develop evaluation and monitoring mechanisms to ensure the
mainstreaming of STI OP in future operations and support to DMCs. This will
include a review of how projects are developed and an opportunity for alternative
analysis and economic evaluation, including environmental and social benefits
and costs.
9.
Recommendation 2: Encourage modal shift in ADB investments. We
agree. ADB’s STI OP outlines targets for future subsector support with a
noticeable increase in low-emission modes such as public transport, nonmotorized transport, rail, and water transport. ADB will work closely with DMCs to
identify suitable opportunities in line with DMCs’ development plans.
10.
Recommendation 3: Consider systematic indicators to monitor the
intensity of carbon emissions from transport investments in alignment with
the emphasis given in ADB’s Strategy 2020 to climate change issues. We
agree, but with the understanding that a robust methodology will first be
developed by ADB and other relevant parties. There are currently limitations in
data and suitable methodologies to monitor relevant indicators. Significant work
is required before such indicators can be used meaningfully. The ADB STI OP
proposes mechanisms to monitor future transport assistance and assess its
sustainability under a range of economic, social, and environmental criteria.
These will be developed and piloted in future transport projects to monitor the
mainstreaming of STI in ADB operations.
1
ADB’s Sustainable Transport Initiative Operational Plan (STI OP) was approved by the President
on 20 July 2010.
3
11.
Recommendation 4: In partnership with DMC governments, align
ADB’s sustainable transport initiative with nationally appropriate mitigation
actions (NAMAs). We agree. This alignment will, however, depend on the status
of development of NAMAs with transport components in DMCs. ADB will
continue to work closely with DMCs to identify areas of assistance to promote
low-carbon growth paths. Where applicable, these will be linked to relevant
components of DMCs’ NAMAs.