Harnessing technological innovations and better urban planning to promote low carbon transport

The Urban Electric Mobility Initiative (UEMI) was initiated by UN-Habitat and the SOLUTIONS project and launched at the UN Climate Summit in September 2014 in New York. The UEMI aims to contribute significantly to the overall goal of limiting the increase in global mean temperature to two degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels by decreasing urban CO2 emissions globally.

Commitment

UEMI committed to boost the share of electric vehicles in individual mobility (2-3 wheelers and light duty vehicles) and integrate electric mobility into a wider concept of sustainable urban transport that achieves a 30 percent reduction of greenhouse gas emissions in urban areas by 2030.

Partners and Signatories

UN-Habitat and the Wuppertal Institute are hosting the UEMI, partnering with cities, industry actors, and development partners. UEMI is implemented by various EU-funded projects such as SOLUTIONS, EMPOWER and FUTURE RADAR, along with the Urban Pathways project funded by the International Climate Initiative of the German Environment Ministry.

Relevance to advance the Paris Agreement goals

The UEMI provides regular trainings to partner cities to work together on the implementation of sustainable urban mobility measures and offers policy advice, an urban mobility toolkit, eLearning courses and implementation support.

Pilot and demonstration projects are currently being developed for 15 partner cites, covering electric buses, two- und three-wheelers, mini-buses, taxis, e-bikes and sharing systems.

Activities of the Initiative

Outreach and coalition building:

• UEMI is working with cities on the implementation of sustainable urban mobility measures in the context of the New Urban Agenda. As part of urban implementation actions, the UEMI team now works with cities to assess the opportunities for e-mobility concepts in their wider sustainable transport strategy. The current 24 cities engaged in the program have a combined population of over 46 million people covering key emerging economies.
• Besides the 24 cities, more cities will be added in the future to benefit from the Capacity building efforts and implementation action.

Knowledge Building:

• UN-Habitat, the Wuppertal Institute and the Climate Action Implementation Facility jointly host the resource center for the UEMI, aiming to bridge the gap between urban energy and transport and boosting sustainable transport and urban e-mobility.
• The UEMI resource center provides opportunities for direct collaboration on projects focusing on sustainable urban mobility and the role e-mobility can play in it.

Policy-making and implementation:

• The UEMI pools expertise, facilitates exchange and initiates implementation-oriented actions. UEMI works closely with city governments and supports in the development of feasible action plans for pilot projects.
• The UEMI works with the European Road Transport Research Advisory Council (ERTRAC) and the European Green Vehicles Initiative Association (EGVIA) in the context of the FUTURE RADAR project to identify opportunities for business models.

Resources

For more information, please see: http://www.un.org/climatechange/summit/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2014/09/TRANSPORT-Action-Plan-UEMI.pdf

Focal point

Andre Dzikus, Andre.dzikus@unhabitat.org

Stefanie Holzwarth, Stefanie.Holzwarth@unhabitat.org 

Oliver Lah, oliver.lah@wupperinst.org