Governments around the world have embarked on a journey decarbonise the transport sector. To accelerate this journey, the ZEV Community – a project that facilitates peer learning and knowledge exchange on transitioning to zero emission vehicles (ZEVs) – hosted a series of government forums to inspire action and encourage collaboration.
The power of knowledge-sharing and open dialogue across regions
The forums brought together 12 governments at the national, state, regional and city levels from Europe, North America, Latin America and Australasia. Through open discussion where they shared priorities, challenges and ideas, governments found that despite their unique circumstances, they're all facing similar challenges.
By sharing knowledge and experiences, participants heard new perspectives, learned about tried and tested strategies, and what’s been successful. This openness and cross-pollination of ideas was powerful in motivating participants, helping them explore a broad range of solutions to reach their ZEV targets.
Learning from peers across geographies and government levels
The variety of participants from different levels of government resulted in a diverse group with different experiences and expertise, from policy implementation to technical knowledge. This inspired insightful exchanges, allowed individuals to step back from their day-to-day work and look at the broader picture.
Understanding the differences and similarities in the challenges faced at each level of government can be beneficial to identify opportunities for collaboration. Dialogue between national, state, regional and city governments opens up space for new perspectives and possibilities that might not otherwise have been considered and leads to better alignment of policies.
International collaboration is essential to accelerate the zero emission vehicle transition
Working with facilitation experts Edge Effects, the sessions were designed as a collaborative learning journey that encourages action, and participants were motivated by the creation of new connections and the potential of future collaboration on common priorities.
The forums showed the importance of connecting and speaking with other peers, keeping an open mind, hearing different perspectives and considering various solutions. Collaboration is essential to help accelerate the zero emission vehicle transition, as governments can join forces to leverage their collective knowledge and experience.
Common challenges require unique solutions
Some of the key topics explored throughout the forums included:
- Ensuring an equitable transition with accessible and affordable ZEVs
- Building resilience, creating jobs and developing the required skills for a low carbon transport system
- Supporting the electrification of heavy-duty vehicles and scaling up charging infrastructure networks
- Leveraging the potential of green hydrogen and ensuring the sustainability of the whole ZEV supply chain
Governments found that they shared priorities with their peers and that, despite facing similar challenges, each jurisdiction requires a tailored solution to their unique circumstances and the needs of their communities.
What’s next?
This journey is not over yet. A new round of ZEV Community forums is starting soon, focusing on collaborative action to show ambition and progress ahead of and beyond COP26. This series will be led by governments for governments, and we hope to tell you more about their progress at COP26.
The ZEV Community, a peer learning project co-hosted by the Under2 Coalition and the ZEV Alliance, aims to support all levels of government to advance their ZEV agendas through collaboration, the exchange of best practices, innovative policies and successes.
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For more information on the ZEV Community, please contact Anaísa Pinto, Policy Manager, the Climate Group. The ZEV Community is co-hosted by the Under2 Coalition and the ZEV Alliance, in partnership with C40 Cities and the U.S. Climate Alliance. It is supported by the Scottish Government and the ClimateWorks Foundation.
Read about the first round of forums, here.
Illustrations by: Mona Ebdrup, Graphic Facilitator
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