E-Mobility Program for Sustainable Cities in Latin America and the Caribbean

The Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) region is one of the most vulnerable to the impacts of climate variability and change. This is due to its socio-economic context and the high exposure faced by its populated areas, infrastructure, and ecosystems to multiple climate related hazards. These include tropical cyclones, heatwaves, droughts, more intense precipitation, sea level rise, and coastal and inland flooding. As urban areas continue to grow across the region, disaster risks linked to climate change critically impact the planning and design of cities and their key infrastructure such as urban transport systems.   

The E-mobility Program for Sustainable Cities in LAC targets sustainable urban development through measures that strengthen and improve urban public transport and the quality of life in secondary cities.  The Program links e-mobility with sustainable urban transport system development and climate resilience in nine countries. It enables the uptake of electric vehicles (EVs), tackling persistent financing barriers caused by high capital expenditure costs, performance risks, and low profitability. It finances electric buses and electric vehicle fleets, electric boats and vessels, and supports hydrogen projects and vehicle-to-grid projects for urban mobility. The focus of the Program is on commercial e-mobility to support the significant modal shift from private vehicles to various modes of public transport EVs. It also works to establish electric mobility frameworks, including gender actions plans, to promote transformative urban mobility that is resilient to climate change.