E-Mobility as a Driver for Change Towards a Gender Transformative and Just Transition to Electric Mobility

United Nations 1 year ago

Uganda’s transport sector is currently defined by men driving heavily polluting internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles on poor quality roads. Motorcycle-taxis have come to be a defining aspect of the transport sector in Uganda, particularly in regional towns and rural areas.1 Women report widespread harassment in the transport sector and are vanishingly rare as motorcycle-taxi or minibus operators. While they represent less than 1% of motorcycle-taxi drivers, they have made more inroads in government roles and in mobility startups. However, official gender-disaggregated data on the sector is severely lacking, with only very limited public data on vehicle imports and registrations, workforce composition, the occasional qualitative report on women in transport, and private sector data that is not made public. The e-mobility industry in Uganda has begun to address some of the major gender gaps in transportation but remains a long way off in gender parity in both leadership and ridership. From a brief survey of the sector, women tend to make up between 30-50% of the e-mobility startup workforce, but without known female founders or executives. Additionally, women electric motorcycle riders represent only around 2.3% of the e-motorcycle fleet, though this is higher than the less than 1% operating in the ICE motorcycle fleet. This report is a 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.
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layersDaily Sustainability Digest

Published about 9 hours ago



Westminster’s commitment to implement the Fingleton Review by 2027 has set a new direction for sustainable construction in the UK. The government’s plan to accelerate clean energy development and reduce dependence on fossil fuels promises a stronger pipeline for energy‑efficient buildings, green infrastructure and net zero carbon buildings. A dedicated infrastructure unit to fast‑track housing and major projects could stimulate private investment and support Whole Life Carbon Assessment at scale, improving building lifecycle performance and enabling more consistent delivery of low carbon design.

The policy shift signals that project speed will take precedence while environmental sustainability in construction must be safeguarded through credible environmental risk management. Developers implementing sustainable building design will need to integrate lifecycle assessment, life cycle cost analysis and sustainable material specification to meet both regulatory expectations and investor demands for accountability. The renewed focus on resource efficiency in construction aligns with circular construction strategies and end‑of‑life reuse in construction, reinforcing the circular economy in construction supply chains.

Geopolitical tension and record oil supply disruption underscore the urgency to decarbonise the built environment. The volatility of petrochemical‑based materials highlights the value of low embodied carbon materials, renewable building materials and eco‑design for buildings that reduce the carbon footprint of construction. Transitioning to carbon neutral construction supported by rigorous whole life carbon management can enhance resilience against energy price fluctuations and strengthen the competitiveness of green construction initiatives.

As the UK construction sector seeks to translate policy intent into delivery, success will hinge on embedding sustainable building practices and defensible whole life carbon strategies into every stage of design and procurement. Achieving environmental performance in line with BREEAM and the forthcoming BREEAM v7 framework will be critical for delivering truly net zero whole life carbon outcomes. Sustainable urban development and low‑impact construction can only be realised through transparent environmental product declarations (EPDs), robust life cycle thinking in construction and consistent carbon footprint reduction across all project phases.

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