Electromobility in the Global South: An Equitable Transition toward Road Passenger Transport Decarbonization

This discussion paper, is the result of an overall effort undertaken by the Sustainable Mobility for All partnership, in conjunction with the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) and the Climate Compatible Growth (CCG) Programme. It questions whether the Global North’s approach to electromobility is suitable for countries in the Global South, particularly Least Developed Countries (LDCs). It complements two other policy papers by the SuM4All partnership: (i) The Digital toolkit for Energy and Mobility, which provides useful resources to integrate policy measures toward sustainable mobility; and (ii) Sustainable Electric Mobility: Building Blocks and Policy Recommendations on policy barriers to electromobility and essential building blocks for public policy in this area. Released under the Global Roadmap of Action series (GRA)ii, these papers contribute to a deeper understanding of the comprehensive policy framework required to transition to sustainable mobility. The series intends to stimulate an informed discussion on policy choices in transport and position the SuM4All partnership more prominently in the run-up towards COP26 and beyond. This will contribute to the debate on transport decarbonization, while considering the other goals of sustainable mobility: universal access, efficiency, and safety. The SuM4all partnership outlined this comprehensive policy framework in the GRAiii, which is now being piloted in South Africa. This paper shows that the model for transitioning to electromobility in the Global North will not work for all countries, and therefore new, innovative approaches are needed so that countries in the Global South are not left behind. Many countries understand the issue and are willing to transition but the poorest countries often face demanding technological, financial, and social pressures. These current circumstances make this transition extremely difficult or not timely. The Global North has a responsibility, as the historic high emitter of carbon, to help these countries bridge the Green Divide. The paper seeks to raise questions and issues for dialogue focused on the role of electromobility as a solution to decarbonize the transport sector. It is intended as a unique discussion document, which will contribute to the international debate at COP26 and beyond, regarding the right pathway to decarbonize the sector by taking the perspective of the LDCs in the Global South.