The United Nations Development Program (UNDP), in conjunction with the Ministry of Energy, has successfully launched electric vehicles in Malawi in their quest to fight against global climate change.
The global leader in fighting against climate change reached the landmark on Monday in Lilongwe when they officially launched it as they are committed to reducing its operational carbon footprint around the world by 50% by 2030.
Speaking during the ceremony, UNDP Resident Representative, Fenella Frost, said Electric vehicles (EV) aren’t just a way to get around, but they symbolize innovation as well as responsible and sustainable transportation.
Fenella Frost, said EVs’ lower running costs compared to traditional fossil fuel-operated cars result in substantial savings and a reduction of 4.17 tons of CO₂ emissions per year.
She said the development is UNDP’s commitment to sustainable development and mitigating climate change as it will help to reduce greenhouse gases in Malawi and in the world at large.
“Using electric cars in Malawi underscores the importance of UNDP’s collective action in combating climate change. This really demonstrates that UNDP is just proud to work with Malawi’s government and private sectors.
“UNDP is committed to halting greenhouse gas emissions by 2030. We will do that by having more Electric Vehicles, and our energy sources will be full of solar panels, but we will need to have infrastructure where these EVs can be charged.
“It is necessary because we have little infrastructure in Malawi, and we will work with Malawi’s Government. Having more sustainable environmental solutions is also good for the consumers and Malawi’s business. We are happy with Malawi’s government,” he said.
Minister of Energy, Honourable Ibrahim Matola said the introduction of Electric Vehicles will help to reduce greenhouse gases and deal with climate change.
The minister has appealed to the development partners and private sectors to stand together in their quest to achieve the reduction of Carbon omission.
“The government is committed to promoting the energy sector, for example, reducing tax on Electric Vehicles so that many people can afford them because we are talking about affordability, sustainability, and reliability. We need these reliable, sustainable actions in the energy sector. The President and the Minister of Finance have looked into this issue, like removing some taxes for Electric Vehicles.
“We would want these Electric Vehicles to be everywhere in the country. This is going to reduce the import of our fuel and we will involve all the private sectors to come together and solve their concerns,” he said.
Electric Vehicles will be powered by a solar-charged station and used for the office’s daily operations to reduce its emissions and raise awareness about the need to transition to clean energy transport.
UNDP has noted that electric vehicles are taking the global market by storm, with sales expected to increase by 35% this year after a record-breaking 2022, when more than 10 million electric cars were sold globally.
The launching was attended by leaders and experts from government agencies such as the Ministry of Transport, the Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Energy.
UNDP Malawi Country Office (CO) is pursuing a transition to 100 percent reliance on green energy through Smart UN Facilities and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to move towards a greener future.
The UN agency in 2022 set a Moonshot target of reducing Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions by 25% by the year 2025 and 50% by 2030 which requires reducing GHG emissions from the top three sources — air travel, facility energy, and vehicle fuel.
The CO received a grant of $37,000 in November 2021 from the Moonshot Fund and topped it up with $33,000 from the office’s core budget. A Solar PV system was recently installed on the roof of the UNDP CO in Malawi with 68 solar panels installed on the roof of Block B.
In March this year, UNDP expressed commitment to supporting Malawi’s Energy Sector after being impressed by the Sitolo 80KWp Solar PV Mini Grid, which is located in the group village headman Sitolo in Mchinji district.
Sky Energy Africa, a local renewable energy start-up launched by 33-year-old entrepreneur Schizzo Thomson, is set to become the first electric vehicle (EV) dealer in Malawi.
Thomson envisions the EVs not just keeping Malawians moving amid the biting fuel scarcity, but also cutting air pollution and carbon emissions that fuel climate-related disasters.
