I have ridden the bus system in every city I have lived in, and in many where I have visited. I love riding the bus for the freedom of not being responsible for the vehicle once my ride is done and having time to read or catch up on the news or social media while riding. I hope each of you will take the opportunity to try the bus system in Reno or wherever you live to give you an idea of what can be like to get outside of your car and take a step towards a more sustainable transportation choice.

While reducing GHG emissions as part of mitigating climate change is an urgent priority, we must not loose sight of the other urgent issues that must be addressed alongside of that work. To understand this larger context, I encourage you to review the 17 Sustainable Development Goals that were adopted by all United Nations Member States in 2015. They point at the many considerations necessary to implement solutions for greenhouse gas reductions that will improve all areas of society and not cause other problems to be addressed later.

To stay on a theme, the UN Secretary-General’s High-Level Advisory Group on Sustainable Transport defines sustainable transport as “the provision of services and infrastructure for the mobility of people and goods—advancing economic and social development to benefit today’s and future generations—in a manner that is safe, affordable, accessible, efficient, and resilient, while minimizing carbon and other emissions and environmental impacts.” I really appreciate the breadth of the considerations they have put into this definition. We can and must include these broader considerations as we chart our sustainable future.