Leipzig, Germany – May 2026
Each year, Leipzig, Germany becomes the global capital of transport policy. The International Transport Forum (ITF) Annual Summit, the world’s largest gathering of transport stakeholders. Held from 6 to 8 May 2026 under the presidency of Azerbaijan, this year’s summit brought together over 1000 participants, including more than 35 ministers, heads of international organisations, industry leaders, and civil society representatives, around the theme ‘Funding Resilient Transport.’ The discussions centred on how to mobilise the investments and financing strategies needed to strengthen transport systems in the face of growing threats, from climate change and extreme weather events to geopolitical tensions, pandemics, and cyber-attacks.
This year, ICSI participated in the ITF Summit for the first time, which reflects our growing engagement with the global transport agenda and our commitment to accelerating the implementation of climate-resilient infrastructure worldwide. Savina Carluccio, Executive Director of ICSI, represented ICSI at the summit.
ICSI organised an official summit side event, a closed-door roundtable on the ‘Plan to Accelerate Solutions: Resilient and Adaptive Transport Infrastructure (PAS).’
The session was co-led by Savina Carluccio and Brazil’s Ministry of Transport, bringing together industry stakeholders, international organisations, and key country delegates to review and refine the plan and its proposed outputs.
| What is the ‘Plan to Accelerate Solutions: Resilient and Adaptive Transport Infrastructure (PAS)’? The ‘Plan to Accelerate Solutions: Resilient and Adaptive Transport Infrastructure (PAS)’ is a collaborative initiative under the Global Climate Action Agenda. Led by ICSI, and co-led with Brazil’s Ministry of Transport and the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI), the PAS brings together key global stakeholders to accelerate the development and implementation of climate-resilient transport systems. Launched at COP30, the PAS provides a structured platform to coordinate action, share knowledge, track progress, and scale up practical, evidence-based solutions for more resilient transport infrastructure. It will run through to the 2028 Global Stocktake, helping sustain momentum and align efforts over time. Its first key milestone will be COP31, where concrete outcomes, partnerships, and initial progress will be presented. |
Savina Carluccio also joined a high-level panel organised by CNT – Confederação Nacional do Transporte, titled ‘Beyond Risk Reduction – Unlocking the Value of Disaster Resilient Infrastructure for the Transportation Sector.’
During the session, Savina shared key insights from the Global Infrastructure Resilience Survey 2025. Her remarks highlighted how the transport sector can move beyond risk mitigation to unlock the long-term economic and social value of resilient infrastructure, while also addressing key barriers identified by the survey, including underinvestment in maintenance and retrofitting, limited institutional capacity, and gaps in implementation. She was joined by representatives from the International Road Transport Union and the Inter-American Development Bank.
Key outcomes from the ITF 2026 Summit
The summit closed with significant policy momentum. On 7 May, the ITF Council of Ministers adopted two landmark policy recommendations: one on the digitalisation of cross-border freight and one on the development of urban transport. While non-binding, ITF recommendations carry strong political weight, representing consensus among its 69 member countries and providing clear guidance for national policies and international cooperation in the years ahead.
Looking ahead: Transport at the heart of ICSI’s work
The ITF 2026 Summit marks an important new chapter for ICSI. We look forward to deepening our engagement with this community in the years ahead. In alignment with the UN Decade of Sustainable Transport, ICSI’s work will focus on advancing sustainable and resilient transport. In the coming months, watch out for:
- the PAS, which ICSI is leading toward COP31 and beyond,
- the call for contributions to the 2026 edition of the Climate Resilient Infrastructure Report Series, which will focus on transport,
- The Resilience4Ports initiative,
- and other upcoming ICSI programmes around transport resilience
We look forward to returning to Leipzig next year and to working with partners around the world to advance transport systems that are climate-resilient, sustainable, and equitable for all.
Stay tuned for the launch of new ICSI initiatives on transport resilience in the months ahead.
