E-Mobility as a Driver for Change: Towards a gender transformative and just transition to electric mobility

United Nations 2 years ago

This report is the first deliverable under the project “E-Mobility as a Driver for Change - Towards a gender transformative and just transition to electric mobility” which is being implemented by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) with funding from the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). The project aims to ensure that the introduction of, and shift to, electric mobility (E-Mobility) in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) will include and promote the position and interests of women, to create a more gender transformative and just transport sector. Engaging more women in the E-Mobility ecosystem can in turn help to speed up the transition to zero emission mobility systems. This report has the objective to increase the knowledge and evidence base, internationally and locally, on how women can play a more important role in accelerating the take up of E-Mobility based on improved data availability. There is a unique opportunity to revise the current planning and decision making paradigm in transport as the transition to E-Mobility accelerates and disrupts the established system based on Internal Combustion Engine vehicles (ICEVs). It will also bring in new players and innovative opportunities leading to a more inclusive transport sector.
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layersDaily Sustainability Digest

Published about 7 hours ago



Sustainable construction is shifting beyond carbon accounting towards resilience, circular economy delivery and measurable building lifecycle performance. UN warnings on displacement across South Asia from sea-level rise, drought and flooding reinforce the urgency of sustainable building design that treats adaptation as a core requirement, not a specialist add-on. UK fire services reporting escalating wildfire and flood risks point to the same imperative for energy-efficient buildings, low carbon design and sustainable urban development that can withstand climate volatility while reducing the carbon footprint of construction.

Material innovation is gaining momentum where waste streams become assets. Plans for a wind-turbine recycling facility in Inverness signal progress in circular economy in construction, giving physical capacity to end-of-life reuse in construction and resource efficiency in construction. Research converting plastic waste, including old CDs and packaging, into polymer networks able to absorb water from air shows how green building materials and low carbon construction materials could support moisture management, water harvesting and eco-design for buildings. The science remains early stage, but it strengthens the case for sustainable material specification, low embodied carbon materials and circular construction strategies.

Policy is becoming the decisive constraint. UK recycling rules that limit the repurposing of difficult plastic films expose a gap between environmental sustainability in construction and waste regulation designed around disposal rather than innovation.

For developers, contractors and product manufacturers, whole life carbon, embodied carbon and life cycle cost are now strategic measures of resilience, not compliance exercises.

Whole life carbon assessment, lifecycle assessment, environmental product declarations (EPDs), BREEAM and BREEAM v7 are set to shape procurement decisions as clients demand evidence of net zero carbon buildings, net zero whole life carbon and credible carbon footprint reduction.

The competitive edge in green construction will come from proving that buildings use fewer virgin resources, reduce embodied carbon in materials, perform under climate stress and deliver lower whole-life risk. Sustainable building practices, renewable building materials, green infrastructure and low-impact construction are moving from aspiration to commercial necessity as the weather, regulation and investment markets put greater pressure on decarbonising the built environment.

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