Participants in the inaugural Green and Equitable Mobility (GEM) conference held in HCM City on January 17, 2024. — Photo from AIP Foundation

HCM CITY — The Green and Equitable Mobility (GEM) conference on January 17 in HCM City, with international partners under a special agreement between the British Council and the University of Aberdeen, according to AIP Foundation.

The objective of the GEM Conference was to encourage new partnerships and capacity-building to advance equity and sustainability in the mobility and transportation sector.

Participants and speakers have affirmed how safe, equitable, and sustainable mobility can positively impact our daily lives and future.

The GEM Conference was supported by a UK-Việt Nam Nam Partnerships for Quality and Internationalisation grant from the British Council’s Going Global Partnerships programme.

Aligned with the current topical issue of Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG), this was the first event in Việt Nam to approach mobility from a human and green perspective with the motto “No One Left Behind.”

Co-funded by the FIA Foundation, the GEM conference was co-organised by the University of Aberdeen and University of Transport and Communications in HCM City, and sponsored by the University of Economics HCM City and the Institute of Smart City & Management.

Emily Hamblin, British Consul General, at the event. — Photo courtesy of the AIP Foundation

Mobility is at the heart of our daily life, yet we tend to forget its importance. We move to go to school, work, meet family and friends. Yet we are not equal. Safe mobility is one of the main global public health issues. Acting on mobility has tremendous positive effects on SDGs, such as health and well-being, access to quality education, decent work and economic growth, decreasing the inequalities gap, and clean air to support the development of sustainable cities and communities. It is everyone’s right to have equitable access to school, work, transport, and above all, healthy and green cities, as well as livable and walkable neighborhoods around the world.

During the GEM conference, the following topics were explored: how women and men move differently, women being more likely to adopt sustainable travel behaviors, green mobility, Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion in higher education - especially in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) and transport sectors - to sustain significant climate change mitigation.

In the spirit of inclusivity and accessibility, the GEM conference was a hybrid event with Vietnamese-English interpretation and translation. There was accessibility for people living with disabilities and support for students to attend the conference. Throughout the conference day, participants, speakers, and attendees were encouraged to approach the event via interactivity on digital platforms. — VNS