2026 Global Sustainable Transport Forum highlights AI applications, green transport

The 2026 Global Sustainable Transport Forum was held in Beijing, focusing on strengthening international connectivity, advancing the application of artificial intelligence in the transport sector, and promoting green transportation.

Organized by the Chinese Ministry of Transport, the two-day forum is one of the largest international events dedicated to the transport sector. This year's forum covered a range of issues, including practical international cooperation, integrated transport networks, green development and AI-driven transformation.

Around 800 guests from around the world gathered in Beijing to discuss the importance of building a safer, more reliable and more diversified international transportation network.

"Let me express my appreciation for the government of China, that [helped] developed railway today from Mombasa to Nairobi. It helps us to more easily move people and goods from the port of Mombasa to Nairobi, to the hinterland, to Uganda, and to Rwanda," said Davis Chirchir, cabinet secretary of Kenya’s Ministry of Roads and Transport.

As AI and new energy technologies continue to transform traditional models of travel and logistics, green and smart development has become a central focus in the global transformation and upgrading of the transportation sector.

Many participants noted that China has made remarkable achievements in areas such as road network coverage, intelligent operations and maintenance, and green emission reduction, offering valuable lessons for other countries.

"You have very good experience, since you have a lot of data, and you can use the data with your AI instruments and capabilities, because your scale is very big. So, this can help to be faster in improving new experience and new model, in using AI for improving mobility," said Gianmarco Montanari, general director of the Italian National Center for Sustainable Mobility (MOST).

The event released a series of outcomes, including the "2026 Global Sustainable Transport Good Practices" and the "China Sustainable Transportation Development Report 2025."

The documents highlight China's commitment to openness and connectivity, its support for multilateralism, and its continued efforts to develop a sustainable transportation system that is safe, convenient, efficient and resilient.

2026 Global Sustainable Transport Forum highlights AI applications, green transport

2026 Global Sustainable Transport Forum highlights AI applications, green transport

New Zealand's ruling National-led coalition has secured a parliamentary majority in the general election, preliminary results showed early Sunday, putting Prime Minister Christopher Luxon on course to retain power for a second term.

The Election Commission's tally of all voting places has resulted in 11 "overhang" seats, increasing to 131 the total number of seats in parliament, which normally has 120.

Among the seats, the National Party, ACT New Zealand and New Zealand First collectively secured 67, giving the three-party coalition a narrow majority to continue governing, while the opposition bloc of the Labor Party, the Green Party and the Maori Party garnered 57 in total.

The contest between the National and the Labor, led by former prime minister Chris Hipkins, remained exceptionally close, with each securing over 29 percent, according to preliminary figures.

Addressing supporters in Auckland, Luxon said the election was "too close to call," with the final outcome hinging on special votes to be counted. He acknowledged that negotiations and compromise would be needed to form the next government.

The outcome could still change when 700,000 special votes are counted days later. These include ballots cast by overseas voters and people voting outside their electorates, and are not included in the preliminary results, according to the Electoral Commission, which is scheduled to release the final official results, including special votes, on Nov. 27.

The Green Party has won a record 16 seats in parliament. The centrist Opportunity Party has also made a parliamentary breakthrough, projected to win seven seats, preliminary results showed.

The country has nearly 3.8 million provisionally enrolled voters for the 2026 general election, representing 93.6 percent of the estimated eligible population, below the final enrolment rates of 94.7 percent in 2023 and 94.1 percent in 2020, the commission said.

New Zealand uses the mixed-member proportional voting system to elect its parliament. Under this system, voters cast two ballots, one for a political party and another for their local electorate candidate. The government is usually formed by two or more parliamentary political parties.

New Zealand's National-led coalition wins majority parliamentary seats: preliminary results