The United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) and partner organizations on Wednesday unveiled a roadmap to reduce by 50 percent greenhouse gas emissions from automobiles by 2050.

The so-called "50 by 50" Global Fuel Economy Initiative (GFEI), which was launched at the 79th Geneva Motor Show, charts a strategy for the world to change to cleaner and more efficient cars, according to a UN statement.

"Transport is a crucial sector in the transformation to a low-carbon, green economy," said Achim Steiner, executive director of UNEP.

"We would urge the world's car and component makers to get on board to prove that they too are part of the solution," he said.

The GFEI roadmap calls for lowering emissions with existing cost-effective technologies and in line with suggestions made by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).

Objectives of the initiative for 2009 include regional assessments and the launch of four national pilot projects in different regions, as well as the development of a fuel-saving information sharing campaign.

(Xinhua News Agency March 5, 2009)