Search Climate Insights Directory

This briefing paper argues that conventional financial analysis for transport infrastructure is inadequate because it fails to integrate externalities—the costs or benefits impacting third parties. The author contends that neglecting these factors leads to continued investment in carbon-intensive road transport over sustainable alternatives.

This research paper argues that traditional cost-benefit analyses (CBAs) for transport infrastructure are typically gender-blind and fail to account for the different ways genders use and experience transportation. Using a case study of a Non-Motorized Transport (NMT) plan in Coimbatore, India, the author demonstrates how integrating gender-disaggregated data and qualitative systems mapping can reveal specific benefits—such as reducing women's time poverty and increasing access to education—that are otherwise overlooked in standard economic assessments.

This fact sheet presents a Sustainable Asset Valuation (SAVi) of a proposed Non-Motorized Transport (NMT) network in Coimbatore, India. It compares traditional benefit-cost ratios with a sustainable approach that accounts for social and environmental externalities, arguing that the project provides significant societal value despite appearing non-viable under traditional financial analysis.

The report 'The Road to Sustainable Transport' examines the environmental and social impacts of global transportation, the evolution of international policy from the 1972 Stockholm Conference to the Sustainable Development Goals, and case studies of sustainable urban mobility. It highlights the role of public transit, non-motorized transport, and electrification in reducing carbon emissions and improving public health, while noting the potential for post-COVID-19 recovery packages to accelerate these transitions.

This report applies the Sustainable Asset Valuation (SAVi) methodology to evaluate ecological restoration options for South-West Beira Lake in Colombo, Sri Lanka, focusing on the economic impacts on property values and recreational spending.