Biggest opportunity for EV transition lies in 2/3-wheelers, public transports

In order to reduce carbon emissions, Bangladesh should pick its own path to transitioning to electronic vehicles (EVs), World Bank Operation Manager Dandan Chen said in a workshop today.

The United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), in collaboration with the road transport and bridges ministry and the World Bank, held the workshop to accelerate the transition to electric mobility in public transport across South Asia and Southeast Asia.

According to a World Bank press release, with the transport sector responsible for approximately 25 percent of global CO2 emissions, decarbonisation is crucial to achieve the Paris Agreement's objectives of limiting global warming to well below 2 degrees Celsius compared to pre-industrial levels.

"Bangladesh must pick its own roadmap for the EV transition, beginning with which segments of e-mobility it wants to focus on," said Chen.

"We believe that the most significant opportunities lie in the 2/3-wheeler and public transport sectors, as they make economic sense and serve the majority."

EVs present a viable solution to significantly reduce vehicle emissions in cities and reduce reliance on fossil fuel imports for transport.

The transport sector plays a critical role in driving economic growth, but it is also the largest consumer of petroleum products in Bangladesh, accounting for 63 percent of consumption. Unfortunately, the sector is also responsible for 15 percent of the country's total emissions, making it the second-highest domestic source of energy-related emissions and one of the fastest-growing in the region, the press release said.

It is crucial to decarbonise the transportation sector in order to advance Bangladesh's sustainable development objectives, steer the country towards a more eco-friendly path, and enhance access to employment and services, as emphasised in the World Bank's Country Climate and Development Report.

The workshop's main objectives were to create awareness of EV development in the subregion and Bangladesh, enhance the capacity of policy makers, encourage Regional Cooperation Mechanism on Low Carbon Transport, and to facilitate discussions on policy recommendations and for accelerating the transition to electric mobility of public transport in Bangladesh.