Advancing green freight in Bangladesh: a background paper
Freight transportation is a vital element for attaining sustainable development. Inefficient movement of goods does not only impend economic growth, but also results in various externalities such as air pollutants, greenhouse gas (GHG) and short-lived climate pollutants (SLCPs). The global growth in freight volumes and emissions are expected to be driven by developing economies, particularly those in Asia, which are estimated to account for more than 50% of global surface freight transport in 2050. The movement of goods has been and is still a rapidly growing contributor to GHGs, traditional air pollutant emissions, and SLCPs such as black carbon (BC). Heavy-duty vehicles, for example, have been projected to be the largest emitter of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the transportation sector by 2035. BC or soot is a key component of particulate matter (PM) and has been implicated as a significant climate forcer and a dangerous air pollutant with multiple impacts on the public’s health. This study, ‘Advancing Green Freight in Bangladesh: A Background Paper’ has been developed by Clean Air Asia with the support of the Climate an Clean Air Coalition, to contribute to the knowledge on the state and issues related to the freight sector in Bangladesh and more importantly, to provide insights on the opportunities for advancing green freight in the country.