21 February 2023 witnessed the start of the 85th Session of the Inland Transport Committee (ITC) of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE). The deliberations during this first day took the form of a high-level segment themed “Actions of the inland transport sector to join the global fight against climate change”, which featured opening statements, two keynote speeches and three thematic panel debates. The high-level segment gathered Ministers of transport, heads of international organizations and private sector associations, and a wide range of trade and transport experts.
The WCO Director for Compliance and Facilitation, Pranab Kumar Das, spoke in the panel titled “A bet we can’t afford to lose: challenges and opportunities in the nexus of international financial and regulatory support for climate action” and focused on three areas where Customs and the inland transport sector can partner in combatting climate change and its impact.
Director Das highlighted that Customs has a role to play in combatting climate change through trade and transport facilitation, including digitalization and tapping into the potential of advanced technologies and data. He went on to explain that the implementation of efficient border procedures leads to decreased waiting times at borders and hence, to reduced carbon dioxide emissions from inland transport.
The Director then explained the role of Customs in mitigating the consequences of climate change, in particular the growing number and severity of natural disasters and outbreaks of epidemic diseases by facilitating the cross-border movement of goods sent as emergency humanitarian aid.
Elaborating on the actions to fight climate change and achieve environmental sustainability, the Director provided details on the Green Customs concept which is currently in the focus of attention of the global Customs community.
Finally, highlighting the importance of international cooperation and Coordinated Border Management in that regard, the Director concluded with a plea for partnership and cooperation in view of achieving the ultimate goal of combatting climate change.
The ITC high-level segment concluded with the endorsement of a Ministerial Declaration titled “Harnessing the full potential of inland transport solutions in the global fight against climate change”.