Background
Urban transport accounts for nearly 25% of Latin America’s CO₂ emissions, with congestion and inefficient systems exacerbating inequality and climate impacts. Yet digital solutions, from real-time data platforms to integrated e-payment systems, offer a path to smarter, cleaner, and more inclusive mobility.
At the forefront of this shift is the ACCESS Project (Accelerating Access to Low-Carbon Urban Mobility Solutions through Digitalization), funded by Germany's Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK) and administered by the International Climate Initiative (IKI). The nine partners of ACCESS are working across six countries to leverage digital tools like Mobility-as-a-Service (MaaS) and data-driven planning to cut emissions while improving accessibility for marginalized groups.
However, challenges like data privacy, cybersecurity, and fragmented policies demand regional collaboration. This webinar, the first under The ACCESS SoMoS LAC’s Digitalization for Transport Thematic Group, aimed to bridge gaps by sharing expertise and scaling up local successes.
Event Highlights
- A new platform for collaboration: The webinar formally linked Euroclima+’s Community of Practice with ACCESS’s Thematic Working Group, creating a permanent space for knowledge exchange and joint solutions.
- In-country Insights: Case studies like Mexico City’s Metrobús system showcased how digital tools optimize routes, reduce wait times, and enhance user experience while slashing emissions.
- Tools for transformation: UNDP presented its Digital Readiness Assessment (DRA), a diagnostic framework helping cities identify gaps and prioritize actions for transport digitalization.
- Challenges and opportunities: Panellists discussed hurdles like funding gaps and regulatory silos, but also highlighted emerging innovations, such as AI-driven traffic management, that could redefine mobility equity.
Why it matters
The event underscored that digitalization isn’t just about technology: it’s about people. By aligning policies, investments, and stakeholder networks, Latin America can turn digital mobility into a cornerstone of climate action and social equity.
ACCESS and its partners are now advancing this vision through pilot projects in 11 cities, from Bogotá’s data-integrated buses to Quito’s gender-inclusive transport planning.
Learn more about the ACCESS Project’s work here and here.
Watch the event recording here (in Spanish and Portuguese).
