PRESS RELEASE: Transition to e-mobility requires a systemic change

Podgorica, 20 September 2019 - Public presentation of the E-Mobility Study was held in Podgorica today, giving an overview of the current situation and developments in this field in Montenegro. The Study analyses the existing obstacles to introduction of the e-mobility concept and offers a series of policy recommendations for the government to encourage better implementation of this model in practice. In a bid to encourage e-mobility, governments and other institutions need to set a variety of incentives to support this transition. These may include tax incentives and subsidies to attract potential buyers of electric vehicles (EV), free charging stations and free parking spaces, as well as more favorable conditions for development of EV charging infrastructure.

Increasing awareness of climate change and environmental protection has caused the automotive industry, which makes a huge contribution to environment degradation, to invest significant efforts in trying to tackle this problem. One of their most important moves is to produce more environmentally friendly vehicles. Electric cars are considered one of the best solutions, and this has spurred the introduction of e-mobility technologies.

At the presentation of the E-mobility study, UNDP Resident Representative Daniela Gašparikova, said: ‘’The road to full e-mobility on a global scale is undoubtedly a very long one. For a transition to e mobility to succeed, collaborations will play a vital role. It’s no coincidence that the presentation of the e-mobility barriers and possible ways forward in Montenegro takes place in the run up to the UN Secretary-General’s 2019 Climate Action Summit on 23 September. Expectations are clear - we all must do more and do it faster. Under the Paris Climate Agreement, Montenegro has committed to do its part to reduce the country’s GHG emissions overall. Today, transport sector accounts for 20% of Montenegro’s GHG emissions which are predicted to grow, reaching 30% of the country’s total emissions by 2030. To slow down and eventually reverse this trend, electrification and e-mobility solutions are key enablers for reducing GHG emissions in the sector. The results of the feasibility study on accelerating e-mobility solutions in Montenegro form the basis for the design of concrete accelerated actions which will deliver results only if public, private sector and citizens join hands in these efforts. Electric vehicles will play a key role in meeting global goals on climate change. Limiting global warming to less than 2 degrees compared to the pre-industrial level is the defined objective of international climate policy. This target can only be achieved, if GHG emissions are reduced considerably in the long term. Montenegro’s transport sector currently accounts for 20% of the national GHG emissions making it an area where change is possible and necessary.’’

Director of the Directorate for Climate Change and Mediterranean Affairs at the Ministry of Sustainable Development and Tourism, Ešef Husić, pointed out that ‘’e-mobility is becoming a necessity, given the spatial constraints, especially in urban areas. We are witnessing significant progress in the energy sector through the development of renewable electricity generation projects (construction of wind power plants, solar power projects, etc.), thereby Montenegro is significantly stepping into the energy transition. The energy sector has made a significant contribution to the nationally determined GHG reduction set to decrease 30% by 2030. We may say that Montenegro has already achieved its goal of reducing GHG emissions. We at the Ministry of Sustainable Development and Tourism expect that this Study will call for the implementation of specific project and program activities, giving its full support to the preparation and application for funding from international financial institutions as well as implementation of various projects in this sector’’.

Buyers of e-vehicles are not just buying a new car. They are moving to a brand-new system, which no longer uses gasoline but electricity. The Study on e-mobility was prepared by UNDP in collaboration with the Energy Institute Hrvoje Pozar from Zagreb and presented by prof. Radoje Vujadinovic from the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering in Podgorica.

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