There is broad consensus stating that climate change is one of the biggest environmental and social problems worldwide. Transport is one of the main parties responsible for greenhouse gas emissions, since it accounts for 14% of the planet's emissions and 23% of CO2 emissions, resulting from fuel burning, including passenger and cargo transport, regardless of the means of transport used and the area (urban, inter-urban, international).

In Latin America the transport sector is the main cause of CO2 emissions within the energy-fuelled activities, accounting for 35% of the total. Ground transport accounts for 90% of the sector’s emission, out of which 50% is produced by passenger transport and the remaining by cargo transport. Facing the high growth rates of Gross Domestic Product and population, a strong increase in greenhouse gas emissions caused by this sector is expected.

Transport holds large responsibility in the fight against climate change. In order to achieve an effective climate agreement and foster sustainable development, transport should be considered as part of both the problem and the solution. Currently, there are various instruments that prove their potential contribution to transport and that may work as catalysts to understand the long-term transformation of transport systems. The economic appraisal methods, i.e., allocation of monetary value to changes in society’s wellbeing due to a lower environmental quality level, demands complex methodologies as it is a global problem leading to an equality problem over time and which requires the application of social discount rates.

The Argentine Republic presents a sound commitment to action, materialized in the sustainability improvement initiatives fostered by the transport sector, promoting projects to limit emissions, provided that they do not compromise the country's development.

This Commission will analyze:

• The role of transport in greenhouse gas emissions
• Alternative methods to assess greenhouse gas emissions through the application of social discount rates: 1) WTS (willingness to pay) approach; 2) WTA (willingness to accept) approach.
• National mitigation strategies in the Transport Sector.
• Methodologies for measuring, reporting and verifying emissions in the transport sector.
• Current usage methods recommended by the IPCC
• Possible adaptation and mitigation actions relative to emissions in the Transport sector, national and international experiences.
• Transport sector’s experience in carbon financing: Global Environment Facility (GEF), Climate Investment Fund (CIF), Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) and the Clean Technology Fund (CTF)
• New financing opportunities: NAMAs (Nationally Appropriate Mitigation Actions)
• Effects of climate change measured by means of the Social Cost of Carbon, SCC.