8. The GRPE secretary also introduced highlights from the last session of the Inland Transport Committee, where ITC requested feedback and inputs from working parties on the draft outline for a forthcoming ITC climate change mitigation strategy (GRPE-89-06). He finally introduced the activities already performed in the recent past by GRPE on the topic (GRPE-89-28). The Chair added climate change mitigation is a key topic for GRPE and highlighted the need to deliver on the ITC request. He proposed to create an informal task force to draft the GRPE contribution to the ITC climate change mitigation strategy outline as well as the biennial report.
9. The representative of OICA, not speaking on behalf of the organization, gave reflections at the technical level, where GRPE has a strong pedigree, and he encouraged brainstorming on the potential to separate consideration of air quality and GHG topics, which is often tackled differently in different jurisdictions.
10. The representative of CLEPA said that climate change mitigation considerations needed to move towards overall lifecycle assessment, beyond tailpipe and use phase only. He noted that a more holistic view would also be needed to also include corporate level engagement, cross border adjustment mechanisms and other trade issues. He said air quality was the key topic in the seventies, and lifecycle assessments (LCA) represented the new future framework for international regulatory framework.
11. The representative of the United States of America clarified that if a LCA methodology is developed, all lifecycle phases (extraction, production, use and dismantling) should be included to inform rule making appropriately.
12. The representative of Germany agreed climate change mitigation was an important challenge, and that he was looking forward to seeing the development of the LCA activities undertaken by GPRE and the IWG on A-LCA.
38. GRBP noted that the Inland Transport Committee (ITC), at its February 2023 session, had decided to develop a climate change mitigation strategy and requested its subsidiary bodies for inputs (GRPE-89-06). WP.29, at its June 2023 session, had mandated its Working Party on Pollution and Energy (GRPE) to take the lead in preparing a coordinated WP.29 response and had requested other Working Parties (GRs) to send their contributions to GRPE. In turn, GRPE had established a task force on the ITC climate change mitigation strategy (GRPE-89-39). Following a brief discussion, the Chair invited experts to think over possible GRBP contributions to the strategy and to send their ideas to GRBP not later than 8 September 2023.
146. GRVA welcomed the presentation from the ITC Secretary (GRVA-16-46) informing GRVA on the ITC invitation to its Working Parties to submit to the secretariat their ongoing contributions, future plans and suggestions in support of climate change mitigation (ECE/TRANS/328, para. 57).
147. GRVA noted with satisfaction the decisions of the Inland Transport Committee on climate change and confirmed its support for the development of an ambitious ITC strategy on the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions in inland transport until 2050, with priority actions for ITC and its subsidiary bodies, and supported by a strong action plan with milestones. GRVA was informed of the draft outline presented at the session by the ITC Secretary. Noting that the deadline for contributions and comments on the draft was Friday, 29 September 2023, GRVA invited delegations to send their contributions to the Chair before the September 2023 session on (a) the ITC climate change mitigation strategy until 2050: reflections and considerations as to contributions and ambitious actions (with milestones) GRVA could provide and conduct, (b) contributions by GRVA to the in-depth report on climate change and inland transport for ITC’s eighty-sixth session, on the basis of the preliminary work contained in document ECE/TRANS/2023/21.