Supporting the global shift to electric mobility | UNEP

Reducing greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution through electric mobility

The transport sector is the fastest-growing greenhouse gas (GHG) emitting sector, expected to reach a share of more than 30% of total GHG emissions in the future. It is also a leading emitter of short-lived climate pollutants and it contributes greatly to air pollution.

The global vehicle fleet is set to double by 2050, with more than 90 per cent of future vehicle growth projected to take place in low and middle-income countries.

To achieve a cleaner transport sector, a combination of measures needs to be implemented world-wide: better-designed cities; safe and comfortable walking and cycling facilities; more public transport; and cleaner and more efficient on-road fleets, including electric vehicles.

In the last 20 years, electric vehicles have experienced significant technological developments that have not only lowered their costs but also reduced their environmental footprint and increased their utility. At the same time, public transport and shared mobility are key ingredients for efficient transportation.

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The introduction of electric vehicles in fleets is often the first step to overcoming challenges and barriers to electric mobility and is critical to its wider adoption around the world.

To meet the targets of the Paris Climate Agreement and to reduce increasing air pollution, it is essential that low and middle-income countries are part of a global shift to zero emissions electric mobility. UNEP, together with leading international organizations and in collaboration with partners from the private sector, finance and academia have developed a new global programme to support the shift to electric mobility in low and middle-income countries worldwide.

UNEP’s Electric Mobility Programme is operational at the national, regional and global levels:

National level

At the national level, more than 50 low and middle-income countries are supported with the introduction and shift to electric mobility through the Programme and associated projects such as the SOLUTIONS+ project implemented by the Urban Electric Mobility Initiative (UEMI).

Regional level

At the regional level, UNEP together with the Asian Development Bank (ADB), the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), and the Centro de Movilidad Sostenible has established four Support and Investment Platforms to create communities of practice and e-mobility market places in Africa (UNEP), Asia & the Pacific (ADB), Central and Eastern Europe, West Asia and Middle East (EBRD), and Latin America & the Caribbean (CMS).

Regional support & investment platforms

The platforms will support countries and cities across the four global working groups with the shift and acceleration towards electric mobility through:

Providing technical support and training
Creating communities of practice to share lessons and best practices
Providing a helpdesk for the countries and cities keen to introduce electric mobility
Establishing marketplaces to mobilise financing and bring together countries, cities, and e-mobility suppliers and financers
Global level

At the global level, the programme advocates for e-mobility targets and policies. Together with the International Energy Agency (IEA), the programme has established four Global Working Groups to provide policy advice and to support the national projects.

Altogether, the programme has mobilised the Global Environmental Facility (GEF), the European Union, the German Climate Initiative, the Climate and Clean Air Coalition, the FIA Foundation, foundations and other bilateral donors that have contributed more than USD 70 million for its implementation.

The GEF7 Electric mobility Programme, compliments the UNEP Global Electric Mobility Programme and supports 27 countries in accelerating their shift to zero-emissions electric mobility.

E mobility projects in focus

Electric 2 & 3 wheelers

Mobility based on motorcycles and three wheelers is key to transport systems in Africa, Asia and some parts of Latin America. Very often, these vehicles go daily distances of 100 kilometres and more, transporting passengers and goods and satisfying mobility needs of millions of customers. However, these vehicles are very often based on outdated technologies rendering them energy inefficient and polluting. Electrification of two & three wheelers therefore constitutes a significant potential for greenhouse gas and air pollutant emission mitigation.

The UN Environment programme is supporting seventeen countries to develop national roadmaps and conduct pilots for the introduction of electric two and three wheelers in Africa, South-East Asia and Latin America.

Electric Buses

Many low and middle-income countries are still characterized by rapid urbanisation. Public mass transportation including the use of scheduled buses and informal services based on mini and midi-buses are a cornerstone of urban mobility. Many cities in Africa, Asia and Latin America are now investing in better transport systems and infrastructure, often including high capacity bus lines and bus rapid transit systems (BRT). With lifetime spans of buses at an average of 12 years or more, action is needed to prevent these new transport systems being locked-in with outdated and inefficient bus technology.

The UN Environment programme, along with partners, has developed a clean bus fleet programme providing support to twenty cities in Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean, to develop roadmaps and support pilot projects for low emission public transport, including the introduction of electric buses.

Light Duty Vehicles

Globally, passenger cars have by far the highest potential for greenhouse gas emission reductions. In 2018, light duty vehicles accounted for almost 50% of all transport emissions, including rail, marine and aviation. Many of the leading car manufacturers have set ambitious targets to introduce hundreds of new EV models in the next five years. Used within taxi fleets with high annual driving distances, the total cost of ownership of EVs are substantially lower compared to conventional cars.

The programme is supporting over fifty low and middle-income-countries in developing fiscal and regulatory policies and schemes to promote the introduction and uptake of electric vehicles.

The UNEP Electric Mobility program will involve a collaboration of stakeholders working to support the transition to electric Click to view the Electric Mobility Partnerships