In its first year of operations (2022), GFDT provided grants to the following projects:
1. Accelerating e-Mobility in India
Grant: $1,000,000
India has made the transition to electric vehicles (EVs) a priority and is targeting 30% share of EVs in new vehicle sales by 2030. The Government of India has introduced favorable policies and incentives to drive EV adoption, however barriers remain such as regulations, lack of access to affordable commercial financing (especially for two- and three-wheelers), procurement and contract management issues for e-buses, and a lack of charging infrastructure. Additionally, the large-scale deployment of e-buses will require project financing at an unprecedented scale.
This $1 million GFDT grant aims to accelerate EV adoption in India through unlocking commercial financing at scale and supporting the promotion of alternative business models such as battery swapping. The project has three main activities: (1) accelerating e-bus deployment across India, (2) supporting Indian states to leverage the federal EV risk sharing program to accelerate electric two- and three-wheeler adoption, and (3) supporting states to implement battery swapping programs according to national policy.
2. Supporting a Regional Financing Facility to Decarbonize Transport in Sub-Saharan Africa
Grant: $750,000
GFDT is spearheading the development of an investment facility to unlock climate and development finance for low-carbon transport projects in Sub-Saharan Africa. The Regional Facility will help countries in the region harmonize policies and investment programs to promote electric cars, buses, and two and three-wheelers.
By bringing more climate and development financing into countries and cities in Sub-Saharan Africa, this new facility will make a significant contribution to transport decarbonization across the region. It will also help improve transport accessibility for some of the region’s most vulnerable communities, especially by supporting reforms to modernize public transport.
3. Identifying Opportunities for Resilient and Lower-Carbon Development in the Sahel
Grant: $400,000
Millions in Africa’s Sahel region are facing food insecurity in 2023 in what is likely to be a protracted crisis. This challenge is exacerbated by poor logistics, climate vulnerability, and barriers to decarbonization and climate resilience. However, there are also many opportunities to build more efficient transport systems in the region while reducing emissions and enhancing resilience.
A $400,000 grant from GFDT will deliver: (1) an assessment of rural logistics and accessibility; (2) a review of barriers and opportunities for freight and logistics decarbonization; and (3) capacity building workshops for government officials and other decisionmakers.
4. Electrifying Buses in Ghana
Grant: $350,000
Transport accounts for almost half of Ghana’s energy-related GHG emissions. Bus electrification could help reduce the climate impact of the transport sector, but requires significant investment, coordinated planning, and technical know-how.
A $350,000 GFDT grant will support a national program that will inform e-bus project preparation in select Ghanaian cities. Components include: (1) a gap analysis on e-bus adoption; (2) developing a strategic and systematic approach to bus electrification across the country; (3) supporting the e-bus development and transition plan in selected cities, in line with the national plan; and (4) capacity building workshops for transport leaders.
5. Catalyzing Sustainable Urban Mobility and Motorization Management in the Pacific Islands
Grant: $350,000
Pacific Island nations rely heavily on imported fossil fuels, with land transport being the largest contributor to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the region. Vehicle imports are growing rapidly, yet most Pacific Island countries have no or only a few vehicle import standards and quantity controls.
A $350,000 GFDT grant will: (1) analyze options for a more sustainable urban mobility system in Pacific cities; (2) provide a comprehensive assessment of opportunities for sustainable motorization management; and (3) increase the governments’ capacity for developing decarbonization and resilience strategies in the urban transport sector.
6. Decarbonizing and Digitizing Public Transport in Egypt
Grant: $300,000
A mix of formal and informal public transport systems serve the Greater Cairo Region, home to over 20 million people. Overseen by a complex arrangement of regulatory bodies, public transit services are often unreliable and lack coordination. In fact, the average public transport user can only reach 20 percent of all jobs in the metro area within 60 minutes, which is one of the lowest accessibility rates among equivalent megacities. Personal safety is another major concern, particularly for female commuters.
A $300,000 grant from GFDT will advance the preparation of a World Bank lending operation to catalyze the low-carbon transition and digital transformation of public transport in Egypt.
7. Modernizing Transport in Lima, Peru
Grant: $250,000
Nearly 91 percent of commuters in Lima, Peru, do not have access to safe, clean, and efficient transit services since the city’s transport infrastructure was built primarily to serve the needs of private cars. For instance, there are a lack of bus priority lanes, safe and connected bicycle lanes, intermodal transfer facilities, and adequate street design and signaling systems
The World Bank is preparing a 15-year Multiphase Programmatic Approach (MPA) to help modernize transport in Lima. A major goal of the project is to decarbonize urban transport by (1) reducing demand for carbon-intensive transport through demand management strategies similar to "Barrios Vitales" in Bogota or "Supermanzanas" in Barcelona; (2) promoting low-emission transport modes such as mass transit, bicycles, and micro-mobility, and (3) improving the performance of the transport network by adopting more efficient technologies, such as improving traffic management systems to give priority for lower-carbon modes. A $250,000 GFDT grant will support the design and implementation of this transformative program through innovative data analytics and robust appraisal methodologies.
