ENTEC
A fleet of electric motorcycle taxis make their debut in Thailand, where UNEP is supporting the country’s transition away from petrol-burning vehicles.
Reining in greenhouse gas emissions
UNEP supported 60 low- and middle-income countries as they developed programmes and policies to accelerate their transition to electric vehicles. In 2024, Antigua and Barbuda procured electric buses, India expanded charging infrastructure for electric two- and three-wheelers, and Kenya developed legislation that increased investments in electric motorcycles and buses. The work is part of a larger UNEP effort to back electric mobility in the Global South, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution. The effort comes amid a rapid transition towards electric mobility. In 2023, electric cars accounted for 18 per cent of new car sales globally, a nearly tenfold increase from five years earlier.
The Global Methane Pledge aims to reduce methane emissions by 30%by 2030
The UNEP-hosted Climate Technology Centre and Network (CTCN), which in 2024 celebrated its tenth anniversary, provided technical assistance to 26 countries. In Thailand, the CTCN advised the energy ministry as it formulated a national strategy for hydrogen power. In Kenya, the CTCN launched an effort to channel financing to 2 million small businesses interested in investing in climate-smart technology.
The UNEP-convened Climate and Clean Air Coalition provided technical support to more than 30 countries as they developed roadmaps to reduce emissions of methane, a greenhouse gas with 80 times the warming power of carbon dioxide. Six of these roadmaps were finalized in 2024, adding to the 14 already published. The work backs the Global Methane Pledge, which aims to reduce methane emissions by 30 per cent by 2030 – a key measure to limit global warming.
In 2024, eight countries ratified the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol, which calls for the phase down of hydrofluorocarbons in the cooling industry. Limiting emissions of these greenhouse gases could curtail global warming by 0.5°C this century. With associated energy efficiency improvements, this could double to 1°C. The UNEP-hosted Multilateral Fund of the Montreal Protocol assisted 70 countries in their efforts to improve the energy efficiency of refrigeration and air-conditioning equipment.