The unfolding story of Asia's transport sector emissions mirrors two realities— one of progress and persistence. On one side lies a remarkable shift: emissions growth has slowed, efficiency has improved, and electric mobility is gaining ground. Decoupling between transport activity and greenhouse gas emissions, once unimaginable, is now taking shape in Asia as a whole. This is the hopeful face of progress — proof that policy, technology, and ambition can bend the curve.
But the other face tells a harder truth. Transport emissions continue to rise across much of the region, with Asia now accounting for more than the combined emissions of Europe and North America. Gains remain uneven, concentrated in a handful of economies, while a billion legacy vehicles and emissions-intensive systems keep the sector locked in old trajectories.
Ahead of COP30 in Brazil, the Asian Transport Observatory (ATO) releases The Two Faces of Progress: Decarbonizing Asia’s Transport Sector — a study that captures the region’s dual story: one of leadership and lag, of progress made and ground yet to cover. It is a reminder of how far Asia has come, and how far it must still go to achieve the ambitions of the Paris Agreement.