Shifting to Electric Bus Rapid Transit in African Cities

The panel discussion will provide the opportunity to learn about challenges and opportunities faced by the city public transport agency of Dakar (CETUD) with the introduction of an electric BRT system. A representative from the Seychelles, will provide insights on the specific needs of an African small island development state (SIDS) with the introduction of e-buses. The CFO of the Kenyan e-bus manufacturer Roam, which has recently launched the first e-bus fully manufactured in Kenya, will speak about the need for financing to scale up manufacturing. Ms. Mahua Acharya, who led the procurement of 50,000 electric buses across India worth over $10 billion dollars will speak about lessons learnt and what can be transitioned to the African continent. And finally, the Climate Sector Lead for Energy, Industry & Transport from the Green Climate Fund will provide insights on financing the shift to electric bus systems.

The event will be opened by Mr. Binyam Reja (Global Transport Practice Manager) of the World Bank.

An overview on the importance of shifting to electric mobility in the Global South & the UNEP Global Electric Mobility Programme will be provided by Rob de Jong (UNEP, Head, Sustainable Mobility Unit)

The panel will discuss opportunities and challenges with shifting to electric BRTs in Africa.

Closing remarks will be provided by Rob de Jong (UNEP).

Proposed schedule is as following:

Opening: Mr Binyam Reja (World Bank, Global Transport Practice Manager) - 5 minutes

Introduction:  Rob de Jong (UNEP, Head, Sustainable Mobility Unit) - 5 minutes

KeyNote Speech: Inger Andersen, Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations and Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme

Panel session – moderator asks one question to each panel member (3 min each) - 15 min

• Dr. Thierno Birahim AW, General Director, Executive Council of Urban Transport

in Dakar (CETUD)

• Ms. Mahua Acharya, Managing Director of CQuest Capital and former CEO of Convergence Energy Services Ltd (CESL)
• Mr. Euan Low, Climate Sector Lead - Energy, Industry & Transport, Green Climate Fund (GCF)
• Mr. Rajal Upadhyaya, CFO, Roam Kenya
• Mr. Patrick Andre, Principal Secretary Department of Land Transport, Seychelles

Q&A with audience: moderator -  10 min

Wrap-up and next steps: Moderator: Rob de Jong (UNEP)  - 5 min

Time contingency: 5min