A new Global Environment Facility (GEF) Global E-Mobility Programme launched at the UN Climate Change Conference (COP25) will help an initial set of 17 developing countries deploy electric vehicles at scale, in support of improved air quality and reduced fossil fuel dependency.
The new US $33 million programme, launched in Madrid in coordination with the European Commission’s new E-Mobility Solutions Plus Project, represents the first global, coordinated effort to promote and accelerate the uptake of electric mobility in developing countries.
The programme will help governments establish supportive policies to enable technology transfer, private sector engagement, and access to commercial finance for the introduction of fleets of electric buses, two-wheelers, three-wheelers, trucks, light duty vehicles, and private vehicles. It will also create three regional platforms to support the transition to electric mobility in Africa, Asia and the Pacific, and Latin America and the Caribbean. This work will be closely tied to the GEF Sustainable Cities Impact Programme.
“Globally, there will be twice as many vehicles on the road by 2050, with nearly all of the projected growth taking place in developing countries, where air pollution is already a major challenge in many cities,” said Gustavo Fonseca, GEF Director of Programmes. “We see tremendous benefit from governments opting to phase out internal combustion engines, both in terms of lower emissions and improved quality of life. The GEF is delighted to help create scale for such efforts through this programme.”
Beyond the GEF financing, the E-Mobility Programme is set to leverage more than $400 million in co-financing, including from the European Commission, the Asian Development Bank, and several other national institutions, international financial and philanthropic organizations, and the private sector.
