The first meeting of the Latin American Workshop on Legislation in Sustainable Electric Mobility is organised in Argentina.
Buenos Aires, April 23, 2019. Legislators from ten Latin American countries began a debate today in Buenos Aires, Argentina on the public policies necessary to accelerate the transition to electric mobility in the region, with a view toward reducing the emissions that cause climate change and air pollution.
The first meeting of the Latin American Workshop on Legislation in Sustainable Electric Mobility is organised by the Chamber of Deputies of Argentina, UN Environment, the parliamentary organisation GLOBE International, and the International Automobile Federation (FIA) Region IV, with support from the EUROCLIMA+ Programme of the European Union.
The purpose of the workshop is to involve legislators and regulators from Latin American countries in the preparation of a regional guide for developing public policy for sustainable electric mobility that provides long-term legal security and attracts investment.
According to the 2018 Regional Report on Electric Mobility of UN Environment, the vehicle fleet in Latin America and the Caribbean could triple in the next 25 years. The transport sector is the main consumer of fossil fuels in the region and therefore is the main source of air pollution. Electric mobility can help countries modernise their mass transit systems while reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, in line with their commitments under the Paris Agreement.
“We see great potential in this network of Latin American legislators formed for this event, given that it allows the possibility of sharing experiences and learning among peers. At UN Environment we are keen to continue supporting the countries and their legislators in the development of public policies that promote zero-emission electric mobility,” said Gustavo Máñez, coordinator of UN Climate Change for Latin America and the Caribbean.
For his part, Rabbi Sergio Bergman, Secretary of Environment and Sustainable Development of Argentina, said that “Argentina is working to mainstream clean and sustainable mobility, taking advantage of experiences from other countries where this initiative has made progress and developed.”
“It is in the interest of the European Union to work together to achieve the commitments of the Paris Agreement, and in particular on the issue for which we meet today, to work together to arrive at a clean and efficient transport system,” said Victoria Giussani, International Cooperation Adviser in the Cooperation Section of the European Union Delegation in Argentina.
The workday included presentations on the status and projections of sustainable mobility at the international level, with interventions by the director of the Mario Molina Centre in Chile, Gianni López, the Transport Counsellor of the French Embassy in Argentina, Ekkaphol Suphanvorrano, representatives of companies such as Renault Group, BMW, BYD, ENEL and the Latin American Sustainable Mobility Association.
The regional experiences panel included legislators from Latin America who participated in the event: Senators Alejandro Guillier and David Sandoval from Chile; the representative Fabián Díaz of Colombia; the deputies Franklin Corella and Silvia Rojas of Costa Rica; the assembly members Esteban Albornoz and César Litardo of Ecuador; deputies Adolfo Torres and Karen Michel González of Mexico; deputy Edison Broce of Panama; Lourdes López, adviser to the Senate of Paraguay; Congressman Miguel Román of Peru; and representatives Juan José Olaizola and Nelson Tierno from Uruguay.
“Issues such as electric mobility represent a new agenda: technological and political changes linked to this transformation are occurring. The transition is thinking for the next 15 years and we have to analyse all its implications,” said Juan Carlos Villalonga, national deputy of Argentina, president of GLOBE Argentina and author of one of the projects presented at the National Congress on this issue.
At the close of the session, the status of the development of the National Electric Mobility Strategy of Argentina was presented in a panel that included presentations on the final disposal and extension of the useful life of the batteries of electric vehicles; the interoperability of recharging infrastructure and the added value to lithium, by officials of the Government of Argentina.
Participating in the meeting were representatives of large automotive companies such as Toyota, General Motors, Mercedes Benz and Nissan, the Association of Automotive Manufacturers (ADEFA) of Argentina, the Argentine Association of Electric and Alternative Vehicles (AAVEA), the ABB Group and the International Federation of the Automobile (FIA) Region IV.
“Working together with the countries of the region is key to the development of sustainable mobility in Latin America, which aims to reduce pollution and increase the well-being of the population. Therefore, it is vitally important that we advance in the same direction together with the public and private sectors,” said Jorge Tomasi, President of FIA Region IV.
The second session of the workshop is on April 24 at the Secretariat of Environment and Sustainable Development of Argentina.
NOTES TO EDITORS
About UN Environment
UN Environment is the world’s leading environmental authority. It provides leadership and encourages joint work in environmental stewardship, inspiring, informing and training nations and peoples to improve their quality of life without compromising that of future generations. UN Environment works with governments, the private sector, civil society and with other United Nations entities and international organisations around the world. In 2017, UN Environment launched the MOVE Electric Mobility platform in Latin America (www.movelatam.org), with the aim of accelerating the transition to electric mobility in the region. Since then, it has provided the countries with specialised technical assistance, capacity building, resource mobilisation and knowledge creation.
About EUROCLIMA+
EUROCLIMA + is a programme funded by the European Union to promote environmentally sustainable and climate-resilient development in 18 Latin American countries, particularly for the benefit of the most vulnerable populations. The Programme is implemented under the synergistic work of seven agencies: Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID), French Development Agency (AFD), Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), Expertise France (EF), International and Ibero-American Foundation for Administration and Public Policies (FIIAPP), German Society for International Cooperation (GIZ), and UN Environment.
For more information, please contact:
Chamber of Deputies of Argentina. Ana Norkus, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. +54 9 11 5843-2825.
Secretariat of Environment and Sustainable Development of Argentina. Fernando Curas This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. +54 9 11 5662-4024.
Communications Unit for Latin America and the Caribbean, United National Environment, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. +507 305-3182.
Communications Unit EUROCLIMA+ Programme, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.