More than 76,600 people would be employed in green and healthy transport every year and 10,000 lives would be saved if major European cities[1] reached the cycling modal share of Copenhagen. This is the conclusion of a new publication released today (14 April) by UNECE and the WHO Regional Office for Europe.

For the first time, ‘Unlocking New Opportunities’ [2] estimates that investing in “green and healthy transport” not only has positive health and environmental effects but is also economically profitable.

Transport, health and environment come together in Paris

The new findings are released on the occasion of the Fourth High-level Meeting on Transport, Health and Environment, organized by UNECE and the WHO Regional Office for Europe and hosted by France. On 14-16 April 2014, European ministries of transport, health and the environment gathering in Paris will examine how innovative transport policies can create employment opportunities, along with healthier and greener societies.

“An efficient transport system is vital for the functioning of modern economies. However, transport can greatly damage environment and health. That is why we call for a bold Paris Declaration, urging government investments in green and healthy transport,” said WHO Regional Director for Europe Zsuzsanna Jakab. “The pay-offs from these investments are enormous and include new jobs and healthier people from more physical activity, fewer road traffic injuries, less noise and better air quality.”

“Transport, health and environment form a dynamic nexus of vitality and mobility in our cities, presenting a formidable challenge for sustainability, but also great opportunities for a better quality of life,” said UNECE Transport Division Director Eva Molnar, speaking on behalf of Michael Møller, acting executive secretary of UNECE. “The Fourth High-level Meeting calls on member states, civil society and local and regional authorities to support the future vision of THE PEP [Transport, Health and Environment Pan-European Programme]: ‘Green and healthy mobility and transport for sustainable livelihoods for all’.”

Cost of transport threatens to offset benefits

Transport provides jobs and access to leisure activities and livelihoods. On the other hand, the overall costs associated with the environmental and health impacts of transport can be up to 4% of a country’s gross domestic product (GDP).

In the WHO European Region outdoor air pollution, largely caused by traffic, results in almost 500 000 deaths annually, according to new evidence. Road accidents kill 90 000 people prematurely each year. Exposure to excessive street noise affects almost 70 million people. Transport adds 24% to total greenhouse gas emissions in Europe and North America. When it discourages physical activity, transport contributes to nearly 1 million deaths per year.

Public transport sector: A generous local employer

The Danish capital, Copenhagen, is one of the leaders for cycling in Europe; it is only rivalled by Amsterdam in the Netherlands. Of all city trips, 26% are undertaken by bicycle. This level is much higher than in most other cities in the region.

A simple methodology estimated that 76 600 additional jobs might be created if one major city in each country achieved the same cycling modal share as Copenhagen. People would be locally employed in bicycle retail and maintenance, provision of clothing and accessories for cyclists, urban development and new mobility schemes; they would help to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and health risks and would support the local economy (Table 1).

Potential results of increasing cycling modal share in major cities

Country City Population Current cycling modal share (%) Estimated number of existing jobs associated with cycling Potential number of additional jobs created Additional lives saved Albania Tirana 536 998 3a 73 562 33 Andorra Andorra La Vella 22 256 3a 3 23 2 Armenia Yerevan 1 121 933 3a 153 1 175 119 Austria Vienna 1 721 573 6 470 1 568 106 Azerbaijan Baku 2 122 300 3a 290 2 223 167 Belarus Minsk 1 885 100 0 17 2 215 454 Belgium Brussels 163 210 5 37 156 12 Bosnia and Herzegovina Sarajevo 305 242 3a 42 320 30 Bulgaria Sofia 1 170 009 1 53 1 332 195 Canada Ottawa 1 239 140 2 113 1 354 100 Croatia Zagreb 792 875 5 181 758 77 Cyprus Nicosia 55 014 3a 8 58 3 Czech Republic Prague 1 241 664 1 57 1 413 143 Denmark Copenhagen 549 050 26 650 0 0 Estonia Tallinn 401 072 4 73 402 50 Finland Helsinki 595 384 7 190 515 42 France Paris 2 234 105 3 305 2 340 174 Georgia Tbilisi 1 167 600 3a 159 1 223 147 Germany Berlin 3 501 872 13 2 073 2 073 151 Greece Athens 655 780 2 60 717 47 Hungary Budapest 1 740 041 1 79 1 981 298 Iceland Reykjavik 117 980 3a 16 124 6 Ireland Dublin 527 612 3 72 553 29 Israel Tel Aviv 404 543 9 166 313 13 Italy Rome 2 761 477 0 50 3 219 154 Kazakhstan Astana 661 700 1 30 753 131 Kyrgyzstan Bishkek 889 600 3a 122 932 121 Latvia Riga 650 478 3a 89 681 92 Liechtenstein Vaduz 5 207 3a 1 5 0 Lithuania Vilnius 552 008 1 25 628 102 Luxembourg Luxembourg 99 852 3a 14 105 6 Malta Valletta 6 221 3a 1 7 0 Monaco Monaco 36 371 3a 5 38 3 Montenegro Podgorica 180 810 3a 25 189 20 Netherlands Amsterdam 1 068 724 33 1 606 b b Norway Oslo 599 230 5 136 573 36 Poland Warsaw 1 710 130 5 374 1 651 194 Portugal Lisbon 474 696 1 22 540 45 Republic of Moldova Chisinau 789 500 3a 108 827 283 Romania Bucharest 1 937 421 1 88 2 205 132 Russian Federation Moscow 11 541 000 3a 1 576 12 085 2 912 San Marino San Marino 4 479 3a 1 5 0 Serbia Belgrade 1 639 505 1 75 1 866 255 Slovakia Bratislava 411 884 3a 56 431 51 Slovenia Ljubljana 272 554 10 124 199 17 Spain Madrid 3 265 038 1 149

Category: A Frontpage, EU, European Commission, Transport