On the sidelines of the 25th session of the Conference of the Parties to the UNFCCC (COP 25), the Global Environment Facility (GEF) launched its Global E-Mobility Program that will help an initial group of 17 developing countries to set conducive policy and regulatory environments, ensure effective technology transfer, and facilitate private sector engagement and access to commercial finance for the introduction of e-vehicle fleets. The event titled, ‘Decarbonizing Transport: Promoting E-Mobility in Developing Countries,’ convened on 6 December 2019 in Madrid, Spain.

During the discussions, panelists highlighted the need for, inter alia: private and publicly accessible charging infrastructure to power e-mobility; larger battery capacities in e-vehicles; policies that prohibit the import of low-quality, high-emission vehicles; and sufficient investments into e-mobility, which could save USD 6 trillion a year.

Disruptive technologies are an opportunity to address carbon emissions and reduce vehicular congestion. 

Moreover, the event underscored: that disruptive technologies provide an opportunity to address carbon emissions as well as reduce vehicular congestion in urban spaces; the importance of e-mobility to addressing both the climate and air quality crises; and that the addition of transport electrification to all other current decarbonization actions would still be insufficient to meet the Paris Agreement goals.

Speakers also discussed specific efforts of countries, underscoring that, inter alia:

• Madrid has the largest bus fleet in Spain that runs on compressed natural gas, and it aims to improve its charging system to cater to over 650 electric buses by 2027;
• e-mobility is one of the decarbonization strategies for the transport sector addressed in the Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) of Mauritius;
• the current lack of capacity, finance, awareness, and infrastructure in Mauritius are barriers to establishing a fully electric bus transit system;
• bus-driver buy-in is essential for transitioning to electric buses; and
• installing solar panels on buses in Antigua and Barbuda has facilitated driver buy-in, increasing ridership and decreasing driver costs.

The USD 33 million program will be implemented by the International Energy Agency (IEA) and the UN Environment Programme (UNEP). [IISD RS Coverage of the E-mobility Side Event] [GEF Press Release] [Side Event Announcement]

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IISD Reporting Services is providing coverage of selected side events during the UN Climate Change Conference, which convened from 2- 13 December 2019.