More of Cronin's remarks

In South Africa's case, Cronin observed, "We have many of the same features you see in the developing world, but compounded by South Africa's apartheid past. We have extraordinarily sprawling cities, where people were displaced into distant dormitory townships, where people were expected to sleep and then come back into the centre to w

"So in South Africa the average bus trip is about 20-25 kilometres, as compared to London where’s its about 8 kilometres. And that kicks into all of the challenges you are raising, as there is congestion, long travel distances, and huge pressures on people.

"As government we are trying to reverse this spatial divide, building mixed-use developments, where people can access resources, live and work. And with this report we are better equipped to make the argument more strongly.

Still, he added, the solutions are not simple ones, and require cooperation among mitigation, transport and health sectors rather than laying blame.

"IPCC is not alone in this," he notes. "Too often in the transport sector, the interventions are very technical. We fail to look at the local and the social dimension. It is essential that we look at building resilient communities, not becoming overly technical in our solutions.

"In South Africa right now, we can’t push people out of there cars yet, as then they can’t get anywhere until we have provided viable alternatives. … So we really welcome this publication as it gives us a better understanding of what we are facing in South Africa on the transport and the health front."