Kick-Off Workshop
Supporting the transition to low-carbon electric mobility in Ecuador
On June 4, 24 the E-Moviliza project launching event was held at the EPN facilities and a workshop was held to identify potential challenges, opportunities, and the roles of various institutions in the project's implementation. The workshop aimed to engage key stakeholders in a participatory discussion on the project's objectives and components, encouraging active involvement from all participants. Additionally, the workshop addressed initiatives with a gender approach and highlighted considerations the project should incorporate in this regard.
The Workshop
The launch event began with welcoming remarks by representatives of institutions that are part of the steering committee or project implementation.
The event included welcoming remarks by:
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Tarquino Sánchez, Rector of the National Polytechnic School.
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Fernando Amador, Undersecretary of Land and Railway Transportation of the Ministry of Transportation and Public Works.
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Ángel Sandoval, Undersecretary of Climate Change, Ministry of Environment, Water and Ecological Transition.
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Paula Cobas, Climate Change Mitigation Project Specialist, United Nations Environment Program.
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Sonia Medina, Manager of the E-MOVILIZA project and researcher of the Urban Electric Mobility Initiative.
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After the welcoming remarks, three presentations were made to give context to the workshop on the current situation of electric mobility in Ecuador. This presentation was made by the Center for Sustainable Mobility, an organization with extensive experience in this area in the region. The next two presentations by UNEP and UEMI focused on the description of the project and the presentation of the global electric mobility platform.
Through the initial workshop, the project brought together 65 representatives from 33 institutions and organizations. These representatives were 37% from the public sector, 25% from academia, 14% from the private sector, 12% from international cooperation, 8% from civil society organizations and 3% from local governments.
Key takeaways
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Institutionalization
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It is necessary to consolidate an inter-institutional coordination space that can remain in the medium term, without creating a new space.
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A communication strategy to provide more detailed information on the project's actions, as well as to raise public awareness of the benefits of electric mobility and eliminate myths or beliefs surrounding this issue to avoid falling into false or unsubstantiated information was also highlighted.
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Electric mobility pilots to eliminate barriers in the short term:
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The private sector sees the promotion of electric mobility as an opportunity to enable sustainable development, job opportunities, technological growth, new business lines and environmental benefits.
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It is necessary to develop clear policies and regulations, invest in infrastructure, stimulate research and technological development, economic and fiscal incentives, promote the availability of EV fleet and spare parts, education and awareness, promote coordination between sectors, and continuous monitoring and evaluation.
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Scale-up
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It is recommended to generate tax incentives such as VAT exemption and other tariffs, and also generate regulatory incentives such as the exemption of the license plate and speed limit and the elimination of fuel subsidies.
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It is recommended to actively involve the authority with regulatory competencies in the transport sector due to the legislative reforms that are being carried out and the need to include the project's vision and objectives in such reforms.
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Promotion of long-term environmental sustainability:
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It is necessary to elaborate a regulatory framework in terms of environmental care, which includes the promotion of norms focused on the responsibility of the producer or seller of vehicles in general for their recycling and disposal.
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Gender Mainstreaming:
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There is a need to work on actions that promote the participation of women and other identities along the entire transport sector chain.
Ecuador
Energy Baseline
Electricity Generation (2019):
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76.3% hydro
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21.9% thermal
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1.8% other renewables (biomass, wind, biogas, solar)
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Grid emission factor: 0.4509 kg/kWh (below the global average)
Future Capacity Expansion (2021-2027):
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6 GW of new capacity planned
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81% from hydropower and renewables
Opportunities:
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High renewable share supports electric mobility
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Key strategy for reducing GHG emissions and meeting Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) targets