REMARKS Project Steering Committee Meeting for the “Supporting Sustainable Transportation through the Shift to Electric Mobility” project

September 9, 2021

REMARKS

Project Steering Committee Meeting for the “Supporting Sustainable Transportation through the Shift to Electric Mobility” project

Thursday, 9 September 2021

Acknowledgements

  • The Honourable Pearnel Charles Jr. – Minister of Housing, Urban Renewal, Environment and Climate Change
  • Ms Gillian Guthrie- Acting Chief Technical Director, Ministry of Housing, Urban Renewal, Environment and Climate Change
  • Professor Dale Webber – Principal, University of West Indies, Mona
  •  Other Distinguished Guests

Good morning.

On behalf of our Resident Representative of the United Nations Development Programme Multi Country Office in Jamaica, I am pleased to bring greetings at this inaugural meeting of the Project Steering Committee for the “Supporting Sustainable Transportation through the Shift to Electric Mobility” project.

We are even more delighted to continue our partnership with the Government of Jamaica to  advance innovation and support the country’s development priorities of transition to greener and more efficient technologies.

The E-Mobility Project is focused on advancing Jamaica’s transformation to large-scale Electric Vehicles. To attain this goal the project seeks to strengthen the policy and institutional frameworks across the government; establish a pilot for the demonstration and testing of public electric vehicles at the University of the West Indies.

At a national level, the project contributes to the attainment of Goal 4 of Vision 2030 Jamaica National Development Plan; which is geared at Jamaica having a healthy natural environment with specific focus on the development of a more efficient and environmentally sustainable Transport sector. The advancement of E-Mobility is also well aligned to Jamaica’s Energy policy and environmental priorities.  Significantly, the project’s implementation further localises the 2030 Agenda by contributing directly to the attainment of Sustainable Development Goals 7, 11 and 13 which collectively seek to modernize energy sources, tackle climate change, and transform our cities and communities.

Notably, through this project Jamaica will receive approximately US$1.78 million in grant funding over a four- year period, from the Global Environment Facility and co-financing from the Government, UNDP, Academia and Private Sector totalling over US$11.4 million.

UNDP lauds the Ministry and the University of the West Indies on their commitment to the project’s implementation. I therefore implore, each member of the PSC, to commit to providing the adaptive and responsive guidance required for the project to be a success.

We look forward to working collaboratively with the respective teams as Jamaica continues to play her part in advancing the welfare of the whole human race. Ladies and Gentlemen, have a productive and successful PSC meeting.