Promoting green mobility in mid-sized cities

Context

Ecuador has the fourth highest per capita greenhouse gas emissions in South America. In this context, freight transport between cities and urban mobility are responsible for around a quarter of total emissions.

The sharp increase in private transport is also leading to more and more traffic jams, poorer air quality and a decline in the quality of life in mid-sized cities. The cities are unable to cope with this situation. This particularly affects socially disadvantaged groups such as low-income groups and indigenous women, who are often dependent on reliable public transport in their everyday lives.

Mid-sized cities in Ecuador could reduce their greenhouse gas emissions from transport and traffic significantly through green mobility. However, they are falling short of their potential and are not implementing climate protection measures.

Objective

Mid-sized cities in Ecuador are better able to put climate-smart and environmentally friendly mobility into action in order to mitigate climate change.

Approach

The project operates in three areas:

• Together with the government, it develops national norms and standards for climate-and environmentally friendly urban mobility. It also improves governance among the responsible actors for the introduction of sustainable mobility policies. In addition, the project offers training courses for employees of municipal administrations and national institutions and introduces knowledge management in these organizations.
• The project advises four selected mid-sized cities on the development of sustainable urban mobility plans as a basis for the long-term and climate-friendly planning and implementation of mobility projects. Furthermore, it supports the cities in the implementation of green mobility pilot measures and in the development of three sustainable mobility projects that can attract climate finance from development banks.
• The programme also works with financial institutions to establish needs-oriented financing offers. To this end, it is introducing standards at the financial institutions that take national mobility financing policies into account. At the same time, it is developing financing instruments that promote sustainable mobility in mid-sized cities.

Last update: April 2024