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The Future of Mobility:
Ensuring Global Connectivity in an Uncertain World
G7 Transport Ministerial Meeting
Milan, April 13, 2024
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We, the G7 Transport Ministers, held a meeting in Milan, on 11–13 April 2024, under the chairmanship of Mr. Matteo Salvini – Minister of Infrastructure and Transport in Italy – to discuss and exchange approaches on the future of mobility.
Our meeting builds on the G7 Transport Ministers' Meeting held in Ise-Shima Mie on 16–18 June 2023 that reaffirmed the importance of accessible, sustainable, resilient, efficient, inclusive and equitable transportation systems and transparent, diverse, secure, sustainable, trustworthy and reliable supply chains, and reiterated the preeminent goal of ensuring safety across all modes of transportation. All these objectives continue to be important.
Our meeting took place in a context of poly-crises. Russia's illegal war of aggression against Ukraine, the attacks perpetrated by the Houthis against commercial vessels transiting in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, growing concerns about costs-of-living, and many other crises affect transportation, including climate change and cybersecurity threats.
The convergence of these crises underlines the importance of our work to support the resilience, shock-resistance and adaptability of transport systems. Connectivity is a fundamental need of our modern society and one of the fundamental tenets of free-market democracies. As such, transport mobility is one of the drivers of social mobility, domestically and internationally. Better transport connectivity deepens labour markets, enables matching of demand and supply of skills and capabilities, and enables global value chains and the economic productivity that comes with these.
We welcome the contributions from the International Transport Forum at the OECD (ITF), International Chamber of Shipping (ICS), and Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) to the Ministerial Meeting. We are grateful to the efforts of the ITF as knowledge partner.
We welcome the two side events organised by the Italian Presidency within the framework of the Ministerial Meeting aimed at promoting fruitful debates among the research centres and stakeholders from private sectors.
We reaffirm our unwavering support for Ukraine and salute once more the bravery and resilience of the Ukrainian people who have been fighting tirelessly for Ukraine's sovereignty, territorial integrity, freedom, and democratic future. We will continue our work to ensure that the people of Ukraine prevail in their fighting and to help forge a comprehensive, just, and durable peace. In line with G7 Leaders' Statement of 24 February, we condemn Russia's illegal war of aggression in the strongest terms.
Ukraine's reconstruction, starting with early recovery measures, remains a key priority. We will continue to work with Ukrainian authorities, European institutions, and International Financial Institutions through the Multi-agency Donor Coordination Platform for Ukraine and by leveraging private investments. We welcome the Platform's expansion, the establishment of the International Transport Forum (ITF) Common Interest Group for Transport in Ukraine (CIG4U), as well as the ITF High-Level Dialogue on Ukraine (April 2024). We also welcome all the bilateral initiatives in this domain. Further to the successful Japan-Ukraine Conference for Promotion of Economic Growth and Reconstruction, we look forward to the Ukraine Recovery Conferences, to be hosted in Berlin in 2024 and in Rome in 2025. We reaffirm our support to enhancing cross-border connectivity, including relevant cross-border infrastructures, systems, and procedures, to build resilient supply chains beyond its borders, in line with the Trans-European Transport Network, also integrating Ukrainian and Moldovan transport network by developing new European standard nominal track gauge rail connections.
We welcome the different initiatives to ensure that global supply chains remain resilient and undeterred by Russia's illegal war of aggression against Ukraine, such as the Ukrainian Black Sea Maritime Corridor, and the OECD Ukraine Programme. We recognise the EU-Ukraine Solidarity Lanes Initiative as a vector for the integration of Ukraine and Moldova in the European transport area and as a permanent gateway to the EU single market and global supply chains. These initiatives are essential for global food security and for Ukraine's economy. We underline the importance of the Ukrainian Black Sea maritime corridor as an economical and efficient export corridor across the Black Sea, and implementation of the agreement between the EU and Ukraine on the carriage of freight by road. We welcome initiatives on the demining of the Black Sea and any further measures, including with the support of projects by the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) as prescribed in Assembly Resolution A. 1183(33), that will help to ensure the smooth operation of supply chains.
Building on the 2023 G7 Transport Ministerial Declaration, we reaffirm our support for promoting action to prevent illegal operations in the maritime sector by the 'dark' or 'shadow' fleet, such as risky ship-to-ship oil transfers in the open ocean, which pose significant environmental risks. We aim to utilise IMO Assembly Resolution A.1192(33) adopted in December 2023, as a means to address this issue. We urge coastal States, flag States, port States, and other relevant stakeholders to implement the recommendations of this Resolution and prevent illegal operations in the maritime sector by the 'dark fleet' or 'shadow fleet'.
We underline the importance of complying with the oil price cap for Russian seaborne crude oil and petroleum products implemented by the Price Cap Coalition comprised of the G7 along with Australia and New Zealand. The oil price cap is intended to constrain Russian revenues that could otherwise be used to fund Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine while maintaining global oil flows and protecting energy security. The G7 urges those involved in oil trading to undertake due diligence to ensure that they are not violating the oil price cap and to report vessels suspected of violating the oil price cap or otherwise engaging in sanctions evading activities.
We underline the importance of rebuilding destroyed transport systems to facilitate fast recovery of Ukraine from the impacts of Russia's illegal war of aggression. As such, we fully commit to ongoing work aimed at reconstructing sustainable, smart and safe transport systems in Ukraine, following the principle of "building back better". Ukraine's infrastructure and transport systems are not only crucial to restoring Ukraine's economy and the welfare of its citizens, but also to recover international transport connectivity that will benefit global trade and supply chains.
We take note of the situation of poly-crises facing the transport sector that are impacting the reliability, efficiency, resilience and security of global supply chains. This new reality can be exacerbated by increased interconnections within and among transport systems and between transport systems and other types of systems. These interconnections imply that disruptions in one system (e.g. disruptions related to energy, geopolitics, pandemics, cyber-attacks, climate change, supply chains) can easily cascade down to transport systems and across regions, and vice versa.
We underline that there is a need to incorporate contingency planning into transport planning and policies and upgrade the design and operations of transport systems, including physical infrastructure, in order to become more shock-resistant and to recover – that is, enhanced flexibility, reliability, survivability, recoverability and reduced vulnerability. This requires horizon scanning, risk assessment, planning for, mitigating, and being able to respond to and recover from a large range of threats and hazards. We acknowledge the need for gap analysis and sharing lessons learned among G7 members.
In that context, we remain committed to exploring opportunities to enhance collaboration when it comes to strengthening the performance of our transportation systems and supply chains, including opportunities to mitigate and diversify risk. Mitigating and diversifying risk in transport systems and supply chains entails decreasing the exposure to risks through better understanding of the risk landscape and employing mitigations to reduce exposure, and through creating transportation systems that provide more than one option for travel in the event of a shock to the system. Tools for managing risk could include proactive communication and sharing of intelligence, mapping of risk exposure, identification of critical functions and infrastructure, products for which alternative options and suppliers would need to be explored, and designing a strategy that could make this all happen. G7 members commit to sharing best practices in this regard and promoting their implementation, including digital solutions. Sustainable, resilient transportation is a core priority of the G7 Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment (PGII).
We note that transport policies can benefit from guidance on how uncertainties about the future (including those incorporated in climate models) can be translated into transport infrastructure planning, design and policies. We acknowledge that decision-making could benefit from tools for assessing the impacts from disruptions to transport systems and indicators to assess the shock-resistance of transport networks. The scope of traditional decision-making tools, such as cost-benefit analysis, could be widened to more generalised risks and opportunities analysis.
We note that diversification of trade and transport routes and methods will contribute to the shock-resistance of and mitigate the effects of a disruption, shifting from transport systems solely based on efficiency to transport systems that can effectively deal with uncertainty. In that respect, we underline the importance of enhancing operational efficiency and economic attractiveness of various corridors, such as the Trans-Caspian Transport Corridor (Middle Corridor), the Lobito Corridor, and other economic corridors developed under the G7 PGII. The development of corridors requires the relevant transport infrastructure, but also the adequate conditions in terms of soft connectivity elements, which include ancillary services, favorable stakeholders and seamless cross-border regulatory frameworks. Connecting economic and transport functions along these corridors can help to generate value added for the territories that the corridors cross by contributing to sustainable economic development and regional integration. As these corridors continue to grow, they should be encouraged to do so in the most sustainable, lowest emitting means possible – encouraging the use of low carbon fuels and clean technologies – firmly cementing transport's role at the nexus of the environment and the economy.
Climate change can contribute to more frequent and intense weather events,including floods, heatwaves, storms, and other extreme weather phenomena. It also contributes to chronic stresses such as drought, extreme heat and sea level rise. These stressors can damage and disrupt transport infrastructure, services, and users in a multitude of ways, causing significant safety and economic impacts. In order to mitigate the impact of climate change and to keep a limit of 1.5°C global temperature rise within reach, we reiterate our commitment of rapidly and significantly reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from all modes of transport, while also determining the optimal way to move people and goods through mode optimization. We underscore the importance of collaboration among G7 members to share information, best practices, and regulatory approaches as we deliver on these goals.
We favourably acknowledge the various actions taken by each country that has set 1.5°C-aligned targets for the transition to net-zero transport and introduced regulatory frameworks to accelerate the deployment of technologies to that end, including zero – and low-emission vehicles and renewable, zero – and low-carbon and carbon-neutral fuels, such as sustainable bio-fuels and e-fuels. We recognize that it is important that the transition be socially and economically just and affordable, efficient, outcome-based and technology-neutral. We also recognize the importance of investment in zero – and low-emission vehicle, charging and alternative fuel infrastructures and supply of sufficient and affordable renewable, and sustainable zero – and low-carbon fuels. We note the importance of continuing a constructive and positive interaction with private operators.
We reiterate the central role that innovation will need to play in decarbonizing the transportation sector to support an accessible, sustainable and green future while building more resilient, efficient and sustainable supply chains that utilize and promote clean technologies, and to promote clean mobility solutions.
We welcome the focus on mitigating emissions from the transport sector at the twenty-eighth session of the UN Climate Change Conference. We acknowledge the need for the transport sector to take action and contribute to the goal of limiting global temperature rise to 1.5°C, as recognized by the relevant UN bodies and agencies such as the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), International Maritime Organization (IMO), and United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), as well as national governments. We further acknowledge that the transport sector has accounted for the majority of oil use since decades, and that therefore the sector will play a critical role in delivering on the global goal adopted by Parties in their 2023 global stocktake decision of transitioning away from fossil fuels in energy systems, so as to achieve net zero by 2050.
We commit to urgent global action through the ICAO to accelerate the global scale up on development and deployment of aviation cleaner energy sources, such as sustainable aviation fuels (SAF), consistent with the Long-Term Aspirational Goal (LTAG), in order to achieve net zero international aviation emissions by 2050 in cooperation with industry. We applaud the November 2023 adoption of the Global Framework for SAF, lower carbon aviation fuels (LCAF) and other Aviation Cleaner Energies, by which ICAO and its Member States strive to achieve a collective global aspirational Vision to reduce CO2 emissions in international aviation by 5 per cent by 2030, compared to zero cleaner energy use. We will strive to promote the geographical distribution of SAF production across all regions. We also support ICAO's Finvest Hub, aimed at assisting developing states in accessing private investment capital to decarbonise international aviation. We recognize the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA), being the globally agreed market-based measure for the reduction of carbon emissions in the international aviation sector, as an important measure to spur production of SAF and underscore the importance of broad participation in CORSIA by States around the world, especially major aviation States.
We welcome the 2023 IMO Strategy on Reduction of GHG Emissions from Ships, which established a clear goal of reaching net-zero GHG emissions from international shipping by or close to 2050. We commit to urgent global action through the IMO to accelerate the uptake of zero or near-zero GHG emission technologies, fuels and/or energy sources to represent at least 5%, striving for 10%, of the energy used by international shipping by 2030 in order to peak GHG emissions from international shipping as soon as possible and to reach net-zero GHG emissions by or close to, 2050, whilst pursuing efforts towards phasing them out as soon as possible to keep the 1.5°C temperature goal within reach. We commit to work toward the approval and adoption of the basket of mid-term measures in 2025, for these to come into force in 2027, as indicated in the timelines of the Strategy.
We support the IMO Maritime Safety Committee's efforts on the development and revision of the IMO safety regulations to remove barriers and gaps for the usage of sustainable zero or near-zero GHG emission technologies, fuels and/or energy sources and new technologies to address new safety risks for ships and port infrastructure, whilst keeping in mind the principle of technology neutrality. We welcome the steady progress in the discussions on the development of a basket of mid-term measures during the March 2024 session of IMO's Marine Environment Protection Committee, including an illustrative possible draft outline of a framework to address GHG emissions from international shipping.
We recall our 2023 pledge to support the establishment of green shipping corridors and now call to accelerate the implementation of green shipping corridors as part of public-private initiatives that support shipping and port decarbonisation, including by setting test beds for zero or near-zero GHG emission technologies, fuels and/or energy sources and developing the necessary supplies and underline the importance of investment to promote clean fuel production and supply along the corridors.
We welcome the recently adopted UNECE's Strategy on Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Inland Transport, which aims to set a medium – and long-term course towards net-zero GHG emissions from inland transport by 2050. We underline the importance of the UNECE's World Forum for the Harmonization of Vehicle Regulations (WP.29). We intend to continue and strengthen the cooperative efforts in developing internationally harmonized safety and emissions regulations, and guidelines for vehicles, including automated, electrified and connected vehicles. WP.29 also works cooperatively on issues related to decarbonization technologies, including safety and battery durability of electrified vehicles and safety of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles, and GHG emissions assessment over the entire vehicle life cycle.
Recalling the 2023 G7 Transport Ministerial Declaration, we reaffirm our commitmentto a highly decarbonized road sector by 2030 and reiterate the importance to accelerate the reduction of emissions from road transport via a range of pathways, including accelerating the adoption of zero – and low-emission vehicles, the need to deploy supplies of sustainable alternative fuels, ensuring zero-emission transport infrastructure meets demand, and achieving operational improvements and technologies for transportation. We underline the relevance of enabling multi-modality and sustainable transport modes (public transport, railways, active modes) and smart growth through compact land uses. We highlight the critical role that transport will play in delivering clean energy commodities (fuels and technologies) that are essential to addressing emissions from other sectors of the economy.
We underscore the importance of collaboration among G7 members to share information, best practices, and regulatory approaches, with the goal to further reduce the environmental impact and increase the use of railways, and other mode optimization such as short sea shipping, as well as to increase the use of active modes of transports. Sustainable transport modes can be facilitated by a more integrated approach of transport policies with land-use policies in the urban context, and reconsideration of localization of economic activities.
We acknowledge the need to consider transport networks and infrastructure in adaptation planning to help build resilience to extreme weather events (e.g. drought at the Panama Canal reducing marine traffic and trade flows) and disasters, as well as account for mass movements of people and supply chain disruptions. Adaptation policies could benefit from a systems-approach, taking into account the strong interrelation of transport systems with their social and economic environment in order to make climate adaptation policies more effective.
We underline the importance of conducting regular assessments of vulnerability of transport systems (including rolling stock), physical infrastructure and transport services to climate risks, disasters and other risks, as well as the risks for transport users and transport workers. Such assessments can be aligned with the Blue Dot Network certification and the Finance to Accelerate the Sustainable Transition Infrastructure initiative (FAST-Infra) which require resiliency to climate change, disasters, and other risks, consistent with the G20 principles for Quality Infrastructure Investment (QII).
We underline the need for government and transport agencies to prepare for crises affecting the transport systems, in terms of contingency planning, preparation of legal and contractual frameworks, updating of transport standards, communication to transport users, allocation of financial resources, reservation of emergency funds, planning for redundancy in terms of equipment, energy and workforce, training and skills development.
Wesupportthedevelopmentofdisasterrecoveryplansthattakeintoaccountclimateand other risks and the design of more shock-resistant infrastructure, e.g. in lower-risk areas or using resilient designs principles and materials, or with specific measures to mitigate the risks, for example related to spatial planning.
We note the significant potential for the application of artificial intelligence (AI) in all transport modes. The safe, secure, and trustworthy use of AI provides opportunities to improve safety, efficiency and equity of transportation, planning and operations, as well as more predictive infrastructure maintenance, and forecasting of climate hazards and impacts. The use of AI can help in digitalisation of transport systems, in electrification, in the development of automated transport vehicles, enhanced planning and optimization, optimised asset and traffic management, and decarbonisation of transport systems.
While still a nascent technology in the transport sector, we welcome the discussions on quantum computing in the G7 Industry, Technology, and Digital ministerial track and the G7 Science and Technology ministerial track. Quantum computing has the potential to improve the efficiency of transport systems, and deliver new ways to solve some of the most complex challenges faced by transport networks.
We acknowledge the potential risks of increased use of AI in transportation, such as in relation to labour, equity, safety, privacy and security of transport systems, including cybersecurity. In line with the G7 Industry, Technology and Digital Ministerial Meeting that took place in Verona and Trento, 14–15 March 2024, we are committed to achieving an appropriate balance between fostering innovation and the need for appropriate guardrails as we advance our collective efforts to promote safe, secure, and trustworthy AI in the transportation sector.
In this respect, we underline the important role for governments in the applications of AI in transportation. We welcome the recent United Nations General Assembly Resolution on "Seizing the Opportunities of Safe, Secure, and Trustworthy Artificial Intelligence Systems for Sustainable Development", the OECD AI Principles and initial discussions and exchange about best practices underway at ITF and UNECE/WP29 on artificial intelligence and transport. We take note of international discussions on the governance of AI technologies, benefitting from the ongoing G7 work on AI. We commit to share best practices on the use of data in the transport sector, acknowledging that data is an important factor in AI applications in the transport sector.
We acknowledge the importance of involving the private sector in addressing the above-mentioned challenges of AI to improve our transport systems.
We stress the importance of cybersecurity, considering that the number of malicious activities has grown considerably and that a cyberattack on ICT (Information and Communications Technology), Positioning, Navigation and Timing (PNT), and/or OT (Operational Technology) systems in the transportation sector could result in major impacts for both freight and passenger movements. As vehicle and infrastructure innovations continue to evolve, promising greater safety, efficiency, and reliability, we will work to ensure high standards for our supply chains, in accordance with the principles set out G7 Leaders' Statement on Economic Resilience and Economic Security, May 20, 2023, to enable broad benefits and protect against risks.
Infrastructure and vehicle innovations, such as connected and automated vehicles, have shown benefits in providing new mobility services, and offer the potential to increase safety. They have the capability to collect large amounts of sensitive data on their drivers and passengers, use cameras and sensors to record detailed information on their surroundings, interact directly with critical infrastructure, and can be piloted or disabled remotely. As such, these technologies could be subject to cyber-attacks and could be exploited by countries and other entities in ways that could undermine security, privacy and create systemic vulnerabilities. We will continue to work together in areas such as: information sharing on cybersecurity and other national security risks associated with connected and automated vehicles, addressing vulnerabilities, preventing the misuse of such technologies, as well as identifying and preventing policies and practices that intentionally create vulnerabilities.
We continue to have concerns about the systematic use of non-market policies and practices such as pervasive, opaque, and harmful industrial subsidies, market distortive practices of state-owned enterprises, and all forms of forced technology transfers, as well as other practices that undermine a level playing field and create strategic dependencies and systemic vulnerabilities, including in the auto sector.
We welcome the IMO guidelines on maritime cyber risk management which provide high-level recommendations on maritime cyber risk management to safeguard shipping from current and emerging cyber threats and vulnerabilities and include functional elements that support effective cyber risk management. We also welcome efforts to update and strengthen these guidelines. In this respect, we encourage IMO to explore the adoption of a framework that helps the enhancement of the cyber risk protection's measures in particular in the field of e-Navigation and Maritime Autonomous Surface Ship's operations. We welcome and support ICAO efforts on air transport and navigation cyber security in order to tackle cyber threats and vulnerabilities. We encourage ICAO to strengthen its efforts and to implement its strategies and policies at the global level.
We continue to promote the framework for responsible state behaviour in cyberspace affirmed by the UN General Assembly, including re-emphasizing that States not conduct or knowingly support cyber activity contrary to their obligations under international law that intentionally damages critical infrastructure or otherwise impairs the use and operation of critical infrastructure to provide services to the public, and to take appropriate measures to protect their critical infrastructure from cyber threats, including using trusted vendors for maritime infrastructure projects.
We condemn in the strongest terms Russia's illegal war of aggression against Ukraine, and note with deep concern the obstacles it created to global transport caused by the aggression, the consequent disruptions to aviation connectivity and to maritime navigation in the Black Sea. They have exacerbated strains experienced globally and have been affecting all members of the international community, resulting in considerable disruptions to global supply chains, agricultural exports and manufacturing processes, and increased danger to seafarers.
In line with the G7 Transport Ministers' Declaration of 20 February 2024, we reiterate our strong condemnation of the attacks perpetrated by the Houthis against commercial vessels transiting the Red Sea, Gulf of Aden and the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait, including fatal attacks on the M/V TRUE CONFIDENCE and the M/V RUBYMAR, and we are concerned about the potential for future disruptions affecting shipping routes.
We also underline the importance of defending the freedom of navigation in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. We call for the Houthis to immediately cease their attacks on shipping vessels, and to release the GALAXY LEADER and its crew, and commit to continue close cooperation to address global transport disruptions caused by the situation in the Red Sea. We further underscore the importance of continuing to work with the IMO to enhance the safety and security of seafarers and vessels of all states through the Red Sea. We further call on Iran to refrain from providing support to the Houthis and from enabling such attacks.
We welcome the launch of the EU maritime operation "Aspides" and the continued efforts of the U.S.-led operation "Prosperity Guardian" to protect these crucial shipping lanes from Houthi attacks, because maritime security and navigational rights and freedoms are critical to the free movement of essential commodities to populations all over the world. This is in line with the UNSC Resolution 2722 (10/1/2024), which recalls that these rights and freedoms of navigation must be respected, and that Member States have, in accordance with international law, the right to react to these attacks.
WetakenotethatduetotheHouthiattacksandresultingdisruptiontoRedSeanavigation, transport rates have significantly increased. We underscore the benefits of transparency for transport users to enhance coordination, understand the drivers of cost and rate increases, and to safeguard maritime corridors as the backbone of global supply chains. There could be further environmental impacts resulting from illegal attacks on ships navigating the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea, and there remains the risk that further damage might be inflicted on undersea cable networks that serve global telecommunications connectivity.
We underline G7's role in global coordination of policies and measures that ensure secure and resilient freight transport flows, also through the creation of a G7 Working Group on Transport Supply Chains.
We note the need to be prepared for a range of future health threat scenarios. We acknowledge the need to ensure protection of transport workers and to maintain the integrity of supply chains. We reiterate the G7's "High-Level Principles for a Safe and Sustainable Resumption of International Travel" formulated in 2021, which include the principles of "fair treatment of transport personnel" and "futureproofing", as being particularly relevant in this regard.
We underline the importance to continue to work together with the relevant International Organizations to develop and implement protocols on how to maintain mobility and connectivity in times of pandemics, as well as protection of transport workers and passengers, while preserving the integrity of supply chains. These objectives should be prioritised in the context of future negotiations at the multilateral level. We take note of the "Green Lanes – border crossing" principles advice issued by the European Commission in March 2020. We recognise that enhancing maritime connectivity is crucial to achieve more resilient and efficient supply chains in case of pandemics. We therefore appreciate that ILO could align the Maritime Labour Convention with current international efforts underway to adapt to the lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic. We also recognise that enhancing air connectivity is crucial to achieve more resilient and efficient supply chains, in response to pandemics, and transport of medical equipment, health products, including vaccines. Cooperation between ICAO, ILO and World Health Organisation (WHO) should be strengthened.
We strive for a better future and improved living and working conditions for transport workers, by designating them as essential workers. These workers improve the capabilities of transport nodes, such as ports and airports, to respond to rapid increases in demand, as demonstrated during the recovery phase of the COVID-19 pandemic. We commit to facilitate the transport of essential port workers and seafarers to their vessels, and to enable repatriation from their vessels and to ensure their appropriate access to shore leave, urgent medical care and welfare facilities. Similarly, the movement of air crew, including repositioning crew, should not be unduly burdened by travel restrictions during pandemics.
We acknowledge the role that the transport sector might play in mitigating the potential causes of pandemics. In that respect, we underline the possible role of transport policy, e.g. via the design of transport subsidies and diffusion of good practices.
We underline the need to ensure barrier-free accessible and affordable transport for all, including for older persons and persons with reduced mobility, and those who have been historically underserved by transport systems and for whom transportation is a disproportionate cost burden. We also underscore the importance of coordinating urban development and transport policies. The transition to a carbon-neutral economy should be equitable and consider social implications.
We welcome the new G7 report on policies and measures on accessible and equitable transportation promoted by the Japanese Presidency and recommend sharing solutions and encouraging best practices within this area. We commit to continue to share information on challenges faced and policies developed by each G7 member, including further discussions on the issues stemming from the G7 officials meeting on barrier-free transport. We underline the importance of enhancing the safety and security of transport users and workers through the adoption of modern solutions and the exchange of best practices in this regard.
We also commit to contribute, where appropriate, to the G7 Ministerial Meeting on Inclusion and Disability, scheduled for 14–16 October 2024 in Umbria.
The recent poly-crises have highlighted the strains on and fragility of infrastructure. Infrastructure investment is subject to increasing levels of complexity as it is being called upon to meet multiple objectives and to deliver multiple benefits both in the short and long term, in a context of increasing interconnectedness and interdependence.
Through the G7PGII, we recognize the critical role of strategic investments in transportation infrastructure, including investments that increase the sustainability and resilience of all transport modes, to ensure reliability, efficiency and shock-resistance of transport systems.
We support the development of initiatives to attract private investment in transport infrastructure projects in order to bridge the funding gap between scarce public finance and modern infrastructure development needs.
New technologies and data science encompassing earth observation, remote sensing, big data, Internet-of-Things (IoT), cloud technologies and machine learning, are transforming how infrastructure is operated and maintained, which also underscores the importance of safeguarding data.
We support investment in sustainable, low-carbon infrastructure as a critical pathway toward a net zero emission future. Quality and resilient infrastructure are also the backbone of sustainable logistics, and they play a crucial role in supporting contingency planning and mitigation strategies in response to unanticipated shocks resulting from the disruptive effects of climate change.
We recognize port infrastructure as dynamic nodes in a complex international production and distribution network, promoting their economic role to develop local economies, and global logistics networks.
We acknowledge that resilient, properly funded, well maintained and optimally managed systems are essential to preserve infrastructure assets over their life-cycles, minimising loss and disruption, and securing the provision of safe, reliable and quality infrastructure services.
In the context of poly-crises and following the suggestion in the G7 Ise-Shima Mie declaration, we have decided to establish a G7 Working Group on Transport Supply Chains, with a special focus on disruptions to transport, to share best practices and explore areas of mutual cooperation to strengthen transport resilience, in line with the agreed upon Terms of Reference. In line with the G7 Leaders' Statement on Economic Resilience and Economic Security adopted under the Japanese Presidency, we recognise the importance of the role of resilient, secure, trustworthy, reliable, transparent, diverse and sustainable value chains to reduce risks, both to national and global economies. We underscore the need for developing policy guidance and toolkits to prepare for disruptions to transport systems, as well as identifying best policy practices for robustness, recovery, and horizon scanning to identify and mitigate risks.
Investment in transport infrastructure is a driver of economic, social and sustainable development, but it can be hampered by budgetary constraints and indebtedness. We support the implementation of the G7 PGII and the EU's Global Gateway strategy. We take note of the benefit of infrastructure certification schemes, such as the Blue Dot Network initiative, and the FAST-Infra, which aim to advance high standards for quality infrastructure and mobilize increased private investment in low- and middle-income partner countries.
We underline the importance of creating key transportation infrastructure and the necessary enabling regulatory environment. We encourage the development of integrated and multimodal transport corridors to facilitate access to global markets for landlocked developing countries and Small Islands Developing States. We reiterate our strong support to promote efforts aimed at building and expanding resilient, transparent supply chains.
We support partner countries' efforts to address environmental challenges and reduce greenhouse gases (GHG) through the promotion of clean transportation as well as increasing the resilience of transport systems. We underline the importance of capacity building in this respect and welcome efforts to support key international initiatives such as ICAO's Assistance, Capacity-building and Training for Sustainable Aviation Fuels (ACT-SAF) and ACT-CORSIA programme and IMO's Maritime Technology Cooperation Centres (MTCC) Network programme.
We, the G7 Transport Ministers, reaffirm our commitment to show leadership and ambition, and to continue collaboration with relevant international partners and institution such as ICAO, IMO, UNECE, and the International Transport Forum, as well as at UNFCCC-COP29. Canada is committed to building on the good work of Italy, Japan, and other presidencies as we look forward to 2025.
Source: Official website of Italy's 2024 G7 presidency
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