Fifty-nine per cent (59%) of global road crashes occur in G20 countries, and iRAP and our partners are informing and supporting G20 leaders as they shape and accelerate action to achieve the SDGs for road safety.

G20 leaders from governments and cities across the world’s largest economies met in Brazil in November for the ‘U20’ track of the G20 summit, responding to the challenges raised by the fast pace of urbanisation globally. The Rio G20 Leaders’ Summit, under the theme Building a Just World and a Sustainable Planet, followed from 18 and 19 November.

The G20 summit agenda on urban development highlighted the need for accelerating work and prioritised investment in sustainable transport and active mobility.

iRAP and our partners were successful in the submission of two published policy briefs which were accepted by the G20 and informed discussions.

POLICY BRIEFS

T20 Policy Brief: Recommitting to and Accelerating Action to Achieve the SDGs for Road Safety in G20 Countries

Authors: Towards Zero Foundation, New Car Assessment Programme for Latin America and the Caribbean and iRAP

T20 Policy Brief: Moving Forward for People and Planet: Strengthening Finance for Safe and Sustainable Mobility to Deliver the SDG Priorities

Authors: FIA Foundation, World Resources Institute (WRI), Raahgiri Foundation, AIP Foundation, Instituto de Politicas de Transporte e Desenvolvimento Brasil, Instituto de Politicas para el Transporte y el Desarrollo Mexico, Amend, iRAP and the Global Youth Coalition for Road Safety

SUPPORTING URBAN PRIORITIES

iRAP’s Global Projects Director Julio Urzua participated in an FIA Foundation-led session, presenting effective work to finance and implement road safety and active mobility in cities globally.

Julio joined FIA Foundation Deputy Director Avi Silverman, City of Rio Transportation Secretary Maína Celidonio, WRI Brazil, and World Bank Transportation Specialist Bernardo Serra in a panel moderated by ITDP Brasil Active Mobility Director Danielle Hoppe.

An urban communique was launched by Brazil President Lula da Silva, together with Rio’s Mayor Eduardo Paes, Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo and leaders from around the world. It called for strengthened finance outlining the need for $800 billion in annual public investment from national governments and development finance institutions for more effective urban development by 2030. Alongside clean energy and climate-resilient infrastructure, the priority of investing in low-emission transport and active mobility was highlighted.

Speaking from the event, FIA Foundation Deputy Director Avi Silverman said: “With partners here in Rio, we’re seeing an expansion of work in the most vital of areas – particularly in providing safe road infrastructure around schools, ensuring that children can walk safely in their neighbourhoods, and in work to develop and expand safe active mobility. This work is of critical importance both for sustainable development and climate agendas, but there is of course much more to be done. As we’re seeing around the world, too often this work is not financed and scaled-up effectively. This is why it’s so important to be raising this agenda for strengthened and improved financing on safe, sustainable mobility at the G20.”

Presidency of the G20 will transfer from Brazil to South Africa for 2025.

iRAP CEO Rob McInerney said, “The G20 South African Presidency has a significant opportunity to place road safety and sustainable mobility as a centrepiece of their presidency. Road trauma costs G20 countries an estimated US$1.8 trillion dollars each year, with more than 22 million deaths and injuries in G20 countries alone. This burden is felt by every country but more specifically by developing nations in Africa. Our T20 Brazil paper outlines the opportunity of innovative financing as we start to fund road safety on a scale that matches the size of the problem. Currently only $1-3 dollars is spent in prevention for every $100 of trauma costs. We can and must do better than that, and the G20 must play a lead role in driving that change as part of the 2026 Presidency.”

To read the Urban communique for the Brazil G20 Presidency click here.

To read the active mobility briefing “Safe Active Mobility is a Climate Solution with Short-term Return” that accompanied the session click here.

ABOUT THE G20

The Group of Twenty (G20) is an international forum of both developing and developed countries which seeks to find solutions to global economic and financial issues. The G20 comprises 19 countries ( Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Republic of Korea, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Türkiye, United Kingdom, and United States) and two regional bodies, namely the European Union and the African Union.

iRAP and partners’ policy briefs were submitted to, and accepted by the Think20 (T20), an official engagement group of the G20 for research and policy advice. It serves as an “idea bank” for the G20 by bringing together think tanks and high-level experts to discuss policy issues relevant to the G20. T20 recommendations are synthesised into policy briefs and presented to G20 working groups, ministerial meetings and the leaders’ summit to help the G20 deliver concrete policy measures.

We are proud to be supporting G20 leaders and decision-makers in accelerating action to achieve the SDGs for road safety and a sustainable planet.